Om \u2019n maroelaboom in die Paarl aan te tref is amper soos om \u2019n kokerboom in die Knysna-bosse raak te loop. Die maroela se tuisgebied is die Laeveld van Mpumalanga (insluitend die Kruger-wildtuin), KZN, en noordwaarts deur Limpopo tot in tropiese Afrika \u2013 die warm, rypvrye w\u00eareld van hoofsaaklik somerre\u00ebns. Wat laat jou dink hy gaan in die Boland met sy dro\u00eb somers en koel, nat winters aard?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ek was dus verras om heel toevallig op \u2019n blakend gesonde, vroulike maroelaboom in Groenvlei af te kom. Dit was vroeg in Februarie en di\u00e9 boom was swaar belaai met vrugte.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hier kyk ons na een van die \u201cgroot\u201d bome van Afrika, uiters nuttig vir mens en dier, baie belangrik in die tradisionele lewenswyse van groot dele van die vasteland, geliefd en gerespekteer waar dit ook al groei. Dit is \u2019n bladwisselende of halfbladwisselende boom, gewoonlik tot 10 meter hoog by volwassenheid, alhoewel dit tot 18 meter hoog in gunstige toestande kan word. Dit het \u2019n regop stam met ligkleurige bas, en ontwikkel \u2019n sierlike, veelvertakte kroon van glansende, saamgestelde blare. Dit dra aparte manlike en vroulike blomme (gewoonlik op afsonderlike bome) wat gewild is by \u2019n verskeidenheid van insekte.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Die vrugte wat uit die bestuifde vroulike blomme ontwikkel is die vernaamste rede vir die maroela se status. Hulle word in oorvloed gedra; 500 kg per volwasse boom is nie buitengewoon nie. Die vrug is omtrent so groot soos \u2019n kleinerige pruim. Dit het \u2019n taai, leeragtige skil, en bevat \u2019n lagie sappige, wit, slymerige vleis wat \u2019n groot, harde pit omsluit. Die vleis, wat goed is om dors te les, het \u2019n skerp, effe suur smaak. In die pit is daar twee of drie hokkies wat elkeen een saad bevat. Die dop is moeilik om te breek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Argeolo\u00eb was lank dronkgeslaan deur klein stukkies been van \u2019n dier, volgens \u2019n spesifieke patroon gevorm, wat hulle in Ystertydperk-terreine aangetref het, totdat een van hulle op \u2019n dag by \u2019n nedersetting in die Laeveld verbystap en \u2019n bejaarde vrou sien waar sy met presies dieselfde instrument besig is om maroelapitte se doppe te kraak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Die vrugte is aanvanklik liggroen van kleur, maar word liggeel soos hulle ryp word. Hulle val dikwels van die boom terwyl hulle nog groenerig is om dan op die grond ryp te word. Die sap het \u2019n besonder ho\u00eb vitamien C-inhoud, na bewering vier keer die konsentrasie van lemoensap. Die vrugte is gesog onder baie diere \u2013 bobbejane, ape, sebras, renosters, wildsbokke, eekhorings, ystervarke . . . en natuurlik olifante wat kilometers ver sal stap (waarskynlik gelok deur die skerp reuk van die ryp vrugte) om hulself te vergryp aan die vrugte. Vir menslike gebruik lewer maroelavrugte uitstekende jellie en konfyt, asook \u2019n kragtige alkoholiese drank. Die legende van olifante en ander diere wat dronk word van te veel ryp maroelas eet, is egter waarskynlik \u2019n versinsel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Groenvlei se maroelabome (daar is twee, \u2019n kleiner manlike boom neffens die vroulike boom) het \u2019n interessante geskiedenis. Hulle is afkomstig van \u2019n familieplaas in die Polokwane-distrik. Van daar is hulle in 2007 deur die boomliefhebber wat hul versorger geword het Kaap toe gebring as jong boompies in plantsakke (in haar handbagasie op die vliegtuig!). By planting is \u2019n lengte 50 mm-plastiekpyp langs die stammetjie ingelaat waardeur alle water in die somer toegedien is. Vir die eerste twee winters is die bome onder skadunet toegemaak tot bokant ryphoogte. Van die tiende jaar het die vroulike boom begin vrugte dra, aanvanklik lig, vanjaar met mening. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vir \u2019n boom met soveel ooglopende landbou-potensiaal is dit voorspelbaar dat kultivars met gewenste eienskappe, soos smaakliker vleis, en \u2019n kleiner pit, wat meer vleis beteken, ontwikkel sou word. Plantkundiges by die Universiteit van Pretoria is inderdaad reeds van 1980 besig om maroelas te veredel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lesers wat maroelabome op hul eiendomme wil plant, sal dus waarskynlik vind dat ge\u00ebnte boompies die beste keuse is. Dit skakel ook die onsekerheid uit oor of die boom manlik of vroulik gaan wees. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Bome van ons Dorp.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":54432,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"87b6fa6d-2715-4a2d-bbfd-97a9bdd54037","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"Jan Boom","background_color":"","block_editor":"","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-54430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n