Kenya Coastal Trees: the joy of tree planting

Vipingo Ridge have been planting indigenous coastal trees since 2006, when the sisal farm was identified as a potential future community development.

From 2006 to 2009 the project was particularly rewilding focussed, with an estimated 35,000 trees planted during this intensive period of establishing the estate. As well as planting the trees, collecting seeds and creating the nursery, the team also focussed on supressing the non-native species. This work continues to this day almost twenty years later.

In restricting the invasive species, the indigenous saplings have flourished, with some of these trees now over 60-feet tall. The landscape of Vipingo Ridge has been transformed by these pillars of the returning coastal ecosystems.

PGA Baobab Course

Our roads within the estate, and even our golf course are named after Kenya native trees (the iconic PGA Baobab Course would just not be the same without its namesake). This is just one way of explaining just how important native trees have been since the project was conceived.

Community planting of indigenous trees

The Kenyan Government declared Monday 13th November 2023 a public holiday to mark National Tree Planting Day, aiming to plant 100 million trees. This forms part of a wider goal to plant 15 billion trees in 10 years. Each 10th October is Mazingira Day, a day for tree planting and raising awareness of sustainability and environment.

This year the Golf Club recognised the national holiday with a fitting ‘greensomes’ golf competition with native saplings grown organically in our nursery as the prizes for the winners. The trees will be planted and honour this special public holiday.

Each time we have the opportunity for a tree planting we support with gusto.

Kenya native coastal trees

There has been much interest in the varieties of coastal trees we planted, so here’s a list of the trees that were planted in recently tree planting activities:

1. Craibia brevicaudata

The mountain peawood is a medium to large evergreen tree, growing from 2-20 metres, though it is a slow growing tree it creates a rounded shape and is often grown for shade.

2. Cassia Afro Fistula

Also known as the Kenyan Shower Tree, this plant is marked by the spectacular upright yellow flowers.

3. Markhamia zanzibarica

This small tree or shrub is also known as bell bean tree or maroon bell-bean. It has yellow flowers and creates long fruit capsules.

4. Millettia usaramensis

Sometimes grown as a multi-stemmed tree, this grows from 3 - 7 metres tall, although is occasionally up to 10 metres.

5. Majidea zanguebarica

The highly ornamental seeds mean it's sometimes referred to as the black pearl tree or velvet-seed tree. The leaves are compound with up to 10 pairs of leaflets, elliptic about 5–7 centimetres.

6. Bauhinia mombassae

A threatened species of plant due habitat loss. This shrub has rounded leaves, and bracteoles are broad and conspicuous, enfolding the flower-buds.

6. Fernandoa magnifica

African Flame Tree has bright orange-red with a yellow centre bell-shaped flowers up to 10cm in diameter. The leaves are opposite with 4-7 pairs of leaflets and a terminal leaflet.

7. Dalbergia melanoxylon

African blackwood or mpingo is classified as near threatened. A small tree, reaching 4–15 m tall, it has leaves 6–22 cm long, with 6–9 alternately arranged leaflets. The flowers are white and produced in dense clusters. The fruit is a pod 3–7 cm long, containing one to two seeds.

An important team activity

At Vipingo Ridge the engagement of our team is very important to us. Sustainability is also one of our core values. We also aspire for all of our team share our focus on the environment and conservation efforts. We encourage personal development to learn about our surroundings. One of our volunteer homeowners (Vicki, pictured) took time with the team to explain more about the sights and smells, medicinal properties, ecological benefits of the trees they would be planting at a team tree planting activity.

It is well documented that it is good for mental health to get out of the usual routine and do something mindful, like planting a tree. With this thought process, we invite our team to take a few minutes out of their busy working day to commune with nature and to make their mark on Vipingo Ridge by planting a tree. This is a fun team activity and we thank them for their enthusiasm and positive camaraderie.

Why not take a look at an example of a tree planting golf event? Or learn more about our rewilding program.

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