{"id":301215,"date":"2026-04-24T15:18:40","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T13:18:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/?p=301215"},"modified":"2026-04-24T17:20:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T15:20:36","slug":"historic-apple-tree-planted-at-hoerskool-jan-van-riebeeck","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/historic-apple-tree-planted-at-hoerskool-jan-van-riebeeck\/","title":{"rendered":"Historic apple tree planted at Ho\u00ebrskool Jan van Riebeeck"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A living piece of South African history has found a new home at Ho\u00ebrskool Jan van Riebeeck, where the planting of one of the country\u2019s rarest apple trees is creating a legacy for generations to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The South African apple industry marked its 364th anniversary on Friday 17 April, and Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing commemorated this milestone by planting only the fourth known Witte Wijnappel tree (white wine apple) in South Africa at Jan van Riebeeck High School.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The historic Witte Wijnappel tree, believed to be the same cultivar first planted by Jan van Riebeeck more than 360 years ago was donated by Tru-Cape thanks to former learner and Tru-Cape\u2019s quality assurance manager, Henk Griessel as part of the school\u2019s centenary celebrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prior to this latest planting, only three Witte Wijnappel trees existed locally at Tru-Cape\u2019s heritage orchard in Grabouw, at Babylonstoren, and in the Cape Gardens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jana Rademeyer, centenary festival manager at the school, said this is more than just a symbolic gesture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey have brought back to South Africa the oldest apple tree ever planted in the country, which was described by Jan van Riebeeck in his journal. It was therefore a great surprise and an unexpected bonus for us to receive this remarkable gift.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rademeyer said the tree represents heritage and environmental awareness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo have been selected as the venue for this special tree is a tremendous honour. Being connected to such a rich heritage story is almost beyond comprehension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt also stands as a testament to the remarkable and talented alumni our school has produced over the years \u2014 people who make meaningful contributions and bring about lasting change in preserving and enriching our country\u2019s heritage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teaching through nature<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

She added that it is a long-term lesson for learners about the value of nature, history and the role they play in preserving it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is our dream to make children more aware of their environment and of the value that nature and especially trees bring to a space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe involved the learners in our first tree-planting day and taught them, step by step, how to plant a tree. They helped to dig the holes, work bone meal into the soil, loosen the roots, and then plant the tree, support it with a stake, and water it thoroughly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She believes the planting of the tree will create a legacy at the school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey (learners) will only truly understand this later, and that is the remarkable thing about a school system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey receive the information and are being exposed to it; the seeds are being planted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“But only as they grow older and encounter these themes again in conversations do they realise that they can join in, and that they are part of a much bigger picture.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeanne Fourie, Tru-Cape’s cultivar specialist, said: \u201cToday, South Africa is home to approximately 45 million apple trees and produces 1,3 million tonnes of apples annually, making us the largest apple exporter in the Southern Hemisphere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fourie added that South Africa exports apples to more than 100 countries, with the industry supporting more than 240 000 jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Witte Wijnappel trail<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fourie said the journey to reintroduce the historic Witte Wijnappel cultivar to South Africa has been years in the making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Griessel and colleague Buks Nel undertook extensive research into the origins of South Africa\u2019s apple industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She explained that their research led them to the archives of the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC) and centuries-old illustrated pomological texts, ultimately tracing the cultivar to two surviving trees in a private garden between the Rhine and Maas rivers in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSadly, the area was heavily bombed during the Second World War, and it is a true miracle that the apple trees survived,\u201d Fourie said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fourie said, despite South Africa\u2019s strict plant import regulations, plant material was eventually brought into the country and successfully established.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roelf Pienaar, Managing Director of Tru-Cape<\/a>, praised both the industry and the school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

READ ALSO:<\/strong> From decline to recovery: Turning the tide for South Africa\u2019s threatened plants<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ho\u00ebrskool Jan van Riebeeck has planted one of South Africa\u2019s rarest apple trees, creating a lasting legacy for future 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apple tree planted at Ho\u00ebrskool Jan van Riebeeck | People's Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ho\u00ebrskool Jan van Riebeeck plants one of South Africa\u2019s rarest apple trees, preserving history and creating a legacy for future generations.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/historic-apple-tree-planted-at-hoerskool-jan-van-riebeeck\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Historic apple tree planted at Ho\u00ebrskool Jan van Riebeeck\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Ho\u00ebrskool Jan van Riebeeck plants one of South Africa\u2019s rarest apple trees, preserving history and creating a legacy for future generations.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" 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