Tree replanting starts in Cape Town’s Newlands after devastating beetle infestation

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.

Read more: Tiny but seemingly invincible beetle has killed thousands of trees across SA, millions more at risk

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.

Read more: Cape Town battles to save urban forests from tree-killing Vietnamese beetles

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

A team of City of Cape Town workers, officials, community partners and NGOs assisted in replanting water oaks (Quercus nigra) in Newlands, using both manual effort and machinery to ensure the trees were safely offloaded from the truck and secured. This replanting marks a significant step in restoring the urban canopy after the devastating loss of mature box elders to the polyphagous shot-hole borer beetle in 2024. (Photo: Kristin Engel)

Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews said they were still actively seeking a sustainable plan in the City of Cape Town to ensure that they did not just contain, but also explored possibilities for what needs to be done to mitigate the polyphagous shot-hole borer beetle infestation. "It is of concern, we understand the economic impact and we also understand the impact with regards to agriculture," said Andrews. (Photo: Kristin Engel)

A team of City of Cape Town workers, officials, community partners and NGOs assisted in replanting water oaks (Quercus nigra) in Newlands, using both manual effort and machinery to ensure the trees were safely offloaded from the truck and secured. (Photo: Kristin Engel)

Clare Burgess, the chair of TreeKeepers, an NPO dedicated to conserving trees in Cape Town’s urban forests, told Daily Maverick that the polyphagous shot-hole borer beetle is a deadly threat, but densification and urban development are equally concerning, with both factors causing significant tree loss. (Photo: Kristin Engel)

From left: Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health Councillor Francine Higham, Ward 59 councillor Mikhail Manuel and Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews speaking in Newlands during the first replanting in the southern suburbs following significant tree loss due to the polyphagous shot-hole borer beetle. (Photo: Kristin Engel)

In Newlands, Wilfred Brown, a car guard in the area of more than 40 years, is pictured with one of the newly planted water oak (Quercus nigra) trees which replaced older box elders (Acer negundo) that were cut down after being infested in 2024. Brown told Daily Maverick, "My heart was sore to see the big old trees pulled", but was happy to be looking after these newly planted trees. (Photo: Kristin Engel)

The devastating impact of the polyphagous shot-hole borer beetle is visible across Cape Town, with thousands of mature trees removed to halt its spread. Here, a City of Cape Town official assists with a soon-to-be-planted water oak, which stands as a symbol of resilience amid the tree-killing Vietnamese beetle infestation. (Photo: Kristin Engel)

The first phase of Cape Town’s polyphagous shot-hole borer beetle recovery plan is underway in the southern suburbs, where mature water oaks are being planted to replace box elder trees lost to infestations, providing shade and ecological value for decades to come. (Photo: Kristin Engel)

City of Cape Town worker Zowilisile Mxkaxa assisted during the planting. The city, together with TreeKeepers, has begun replacing lost trees with species that are not polyphagous shot-hole borer beetle hosts in the Newlands area. On Monday, they replanted water oak (Quercus nigra) trees which replaced older box elders (Acer negundo) that were cut down after being infested in 2024 and are good indicator species of early invasions. (Photo: Kristin Engel)

City of Cape Town staff work to secure a water oak (Quercus nigra) in the Newlands area, ensuring it is properly staked and positioned for healthy growth. The replanting follows the removal of mature box elders infested by the polyphagous shot-hole borer beetle in 2024, which has caused widespread tree loss across the city. (Photo: Kristin Engel)

Mekail Davidson, a worker in the City of Cape Town's Parks and Recreation directorate, was part of the tree replanting on Monday, 25 May 2025, in the Newlands area. Soon, a row of water oaks will line the edge of a busy parking lot in Newlands, where there were once thriving box elder trees, offering the promise of future shade and beauty, while also playing a role in the city’s strategy to combat the effects of climate change and urban heat. (Photo: Kristin Engel)

From left: City of Cape Town officials Brinley Davis, Candice Muller, Shahiebodien van Nelson, Trevor Majackie, Alfonso Bowers and Raadhiyyah Carollisen after successfully assisting in replanting the water oaks in Newlands on Monday, 25 May 2025. (Photo: Kristin Engel)

There is a need for a concerted, citywide tree-planting campaign, not just in leafy suburbs but across all areas, including the Cape Flats and northern suburbs. This should include long-term management and maintenance programmes (Photo: Kristin Engel)

The replanting follows the removal of mature box elders infested by the polyphagous shot-hole borer beetle, which has caused widespread tree loss across the city. The new water oak trees, selected for their resistance to the polyphagous shot hole-borer beetle, are part of a broader strategy to create sustainable, long-lived green spaces. (Photo: Kristin Engel)