uct heritage park management framework - University of Cape Town

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The role of screening shrubbery is to provide a dense screening shrubbery, 2 – 4 m in height, to
break view lines into or from the site and hide unsightly elements in the landscape.
Afromontane Forest
Typical Afromontane forest describes an area with a closed canopy, created using species typical
of the Peninsula forests, with low undergrowth. Smaller tree species create the forest margin and
integrate with the adjoining planted landscape components.
The role of this category is to create and maintain a pleasant shady environment, with open view
lines through the trunks, for recreation, meditation or teaching nodes.
The forest will form a strong green back drop to the campus and, with a canopy height of around
10 m, serve a useful screening function of the campus from above.
Shale Fynbos Parkland
The parkland comprises scattered small trees, creating an open parkland feel, under-planted with
grass or Low Shale Fynbos (see below) elements. Included are some areas or clumps of larger
shrubs, planted to create barriers; break view lines and act as well-placed windbreaks.
The parkland role is to create a pleasant recreational area that is sufficiently open to provide a
sense of security. The trees (height of 4 – 5 m – some up to 10 m eventually) will supply some
screening and reinforce the green eyebrow of the forest.
Short/low Shale Fynbos
The low Fynbos element comprises small shrubs and geophytic herbs, forming a low planting
suitable to be grown on the dam wall and the slopes below. The average height would be less
than 1 m with some slightly taller species emerging from the low canopy.
The vision here is to replace the existing Kikuyu green desert with locally endemic flora that will
blend into the adjacent Shale Fynbos Parkland.
Tall Shale Fynbos
The taller Fynbos is proposed as a dense planting made up predominantly of small trees and large
shrubs, endemic to the area.
With a height of 4 – 5 m, the Fynbos will perform a strong screening role, while at the same time
forming an attractive backdrop to the tennis court area. Some of the species will eventually reach
closer to 10 m in height, connecting this with the Afromontane forest.
Existing Pine “Eyebrows”
This area presently consists of plantings of Stone Pines, other appropriate, non-invasive exotic
species (e.g. Pin Oak) and some indigenous species that form the existing strong green “eyebrow”
above the campus and below the tennis courts.
The role of the planting would be to strengthen and maintain the iconic green backdrop to
campus and perform a strong screening function: of the parking and tennis courts from below and
the campus from above.
By maintaining the grass under-plantings a pleasant recreational space is created and this would
be a perfect area to locate an amphitheatre under the existing pine canopy.
Senescent trees need to be removed. All the gaps should be planted with Stone Pine to
rejuvenate the pine wood.
To help create a gate way from campus to the Heritage garden the line of the Pin Oak avenues
planted on North and South lane should be continued up the sides of the stairs, using appropriate
locally indigenous tree species such as Cunonia capensis and Nuxia floribunda.
UCT Heritage Park Management Framework: Final Draft Report, July 2012