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BUSCHFELD PARK RESORT
Only 2 km north of Outjo and 85 km south of Etosha, Buschfeld Park Resort consists of six very pleasant bungalows, each with its own veranda and braai facility, and five campsites, a restaurant, a bar and a pool
Sesamothamnos guerichii
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Of all the establishments mentioned in this article, Buschfeld Park Rest Camp offers the most for tree lovers, since it is surrounded by the greatest variety of indigenous trees and shrubs. It is also ideally situated along the road to Etosha. Here visitors have a unique opportunity to become acquainted with the mountainous vegetation of northern Namibia, most of which is conveniently concentrated along the hiking trail up the hill behind the chalets. Forty-seven shrub and tree species have been tagged, four of which are either exotic or occur naturally only in South Africa. Right along the entrance road you are greeted by the somewhat spooky Herero sesame bush (679) (Sesamothamnos guerichii), related to the plant from which sesame seed is derived. The bottle tree (648) (Pachypodium lealii) is easily identifiable by its bottle-shaped smooth trunk, while the spreading African star-chestnut (474) (Sterculia africana) has a lovely smooth white bark with purple patches that peels to reveal a green under-bark.
Fockea multiflora
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You may have noticed trees with straight white trunks on other hill slopes – they belong to the carrot tree (569) (Steganotaenia araliacea) – and have beautiful bright-green, hanging leaves with finely-toothed margins. The resin trees, typically emitting a resinous scent when crushed, are represented by the common resin-tree (375) (Ozoroa paniculosa). The common kirkia (267) (Kirkia acuminata) with its large well-rounded crown grows abundantly on all mountains and hills from about Otjiwarongo northwards. Buschfeld Park boasts many remarkable specimens of the python vine (F4) (Fockea multiflora), both as trees and as stranglers, with long sinuous branches scrambling for some kind of support. Lesser bushbabies, tree squirrels and a large variety of birds add to the attraction of this wonderful destination. Exotic trees often found in gardens and also seen here are white-stinkwood (39) (Celtis africana), a South African species often found on streets (for example in Independence Avenue in Windhoek) and in gardens.
Erythrina decora The Namib coral-tree (243) (Erythrina decora) is endemic to Namibia and grows only on hill slopes. Its flowers are similar to those of the coral trees found in many gardens in Windhoek. The fruit is a dark, woody pod, conspicuously constricted between the red bean-like seeds with a black spot at the point of attachment.
The silky oak (A9) (Grevillea robusta) is not related to the European oak. It hails from Australia, belongs to the protea family and is planted in gardens for its orange flowers. The tree wisteria (222) (Bolusanthus speciosus), native to South Africa, makes a lovely display in spring when covered in dark-purple flower sprays. Also in spring the African flame tree or flamboyant (F9) (Delonix regia), native to Madagascar, is absolutely stunning when its bare branches are swathed in bright-red flowers.
www.natron.net/matunda
http://buschfeldparkrestcamp.com
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