Tree of the Week: April 8th, 2025
ArborNote’s Tree of the Week was brought to us by our Business Development Specialist Kelly Sobol, while he was hanging out in a local park in San Diego! This tree is the African Fern Pine (Afrocarpus falcatus). It is native to eastern Africa, in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, in Afromontane habitats but also common in Southern California. These trees are often used as “privacy screens” in landscaping because of their dense branches. It is an important timber tree in its native range, where it is harvested for local use and export. It is used for construction of buildings and furniture and it is grown in plantations elsewhere in the world. However, the native population is in slow decline due to deforestation and logging. It is dioecious which means it has 2 genders both male and female. The female trees produce a fleshy fruit that is half an inch in diameter, green at first turning yellow then purple when mature. The fruit can create a messy nuisance when it drops though!
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