26-05-2025
Tree replanting starts in Cape Town's Newlands after devastating beetle infestation
After thousands of trees were lost to the devastating shot hole borer beetle infestation, new life is being planted in Newlands, Cape Town. It's the first reforestation effort to restore biodiversity in the city's southern suburbs.
Over the past few years, there has been a catastrophic loss of thousands of trees to the invasive polyphagous shot-hole borer beetle, but new hope is taking root in Newlands, Cape Town.
On Monday, 26 May 2025, the City of Cape Town embarked on its first reforestation initiative in the southern suburbs, aiming to restore biodiversity and ecological function to an area once lined with majestic box elder trees which had to be cut down after being infested with the tree-killing beetle.
The polyphagous shot-hole borer beetle, originally from Vietnam, has swept through Cape Town, forcing the removal of mature box elders (Acer negundo) and a number of other tree species that had long provided shade, beauty and a critical habitat for urban wildlife.
The loss was deeply felt by residents and environmental groups alike. Now, the City of Cape Town, working alongside the Newlands City Improvement District, TreeKeepers and other partners, is planting mature water oaks (Quercus nigra) – a species selected for its resilience and low susceptibility to the beetle.
The replanting process is a carefully coordinated effort, as seen in Newlands this week, where teams of workers used both machinery and teamwork to position and secure each new tree. These water oaks are expected to grow into large, shade-giving trees that will help restore the ecological value lost with the box elders.
Clare Burgess, chair of TreeKeepers, emphasised the urgency: 'Every month that there isn't a tree where there once was one, we're losing the ecological function that the tree was providing for the city.'
She called for a citywide campaign, extending beyond leafy suburbs to areas like the Cape Flats and northern suburbs, supported by long-term management and maintenance.
Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews echoed this commitment, saying this was just the beginning of a broader campaign to replace every tree lost to the beetle, ensuring Cape Town's urban forest can thrive for generations to come. DM
