By Waldie le Grange
This question might throw the proverbial cat among the pigeons—especially for residents of the Garden Route, home to the iconic Tsitsikamma Big Tree near Storms River. However, based on the latest provisional measurements, the Eastern Monarch currently appears to stand as the largest recorded Outeniqua yellowwood (Afrocarpus falcatus) in South Africa.
During a recent expedition to Hogsback, I surveyed this giant on 17 June 2026. The newly calculated Size Index (SI) has reached 382.6—the highest SI ever recorded for any Outeniqua yellowwood.
Tracking the Champions
The Eastern Monarch is a titanic Outeniqua yellowwood nestled within the indigenous forests of the picturesque Eastern Cape town of Hogsback. It earned its regal name in the book We Are the Champions, and it is officially registered on the Champion Tree Register, managed by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE).
According to the latest available register, there are six Outeniqua yellowwoods designated as national Champion Trees. Previously, the Eastern Monarch sat in second place with an SI of 355. The reigning king was the Tsitsikamma Big Tree, located just off the N2 near Storms River Village in the Garden Route National Park, boasting an SI of 379. As arguably South Africa’s most famous tree, the Tsitsikamma giant is a major tourism hub, drawing roughly 95,000 visitors annually.
With this latest remeasurement, however, the Eastern Monarch marginally outsizes its coastal rival.
The Footnote on the Crown
While current evidence strongly suggests that the Eastern Monarch holds the title, a major caveat remains: we don’t know exactly when the Tsitsikamma Big Tree was last surveyed. Its baseline data is at least a decade old—recorded before We Are the Champions was published in 2015—and could potentially date back to the turn of the century, as is the case with many registered champions.
While the Tsitsikamma tree has undoubtedly grown since its last official measurement, the Eastern Monarch holds the mathematical edge for now. This historic title remains pending formal, independent verification (and it might only last until the Tsitsikamma giant is remeasured!).
Data Breakdown: The Eastern Monarch Remeasurement
The jump in the Eastern Monarch’s SI from 355 to 382.6 is driven by the following parameters:
- Trunk Circumference: Increased from 8.65m to 9.30m (measured at breast height).
- Average Crown Diameter: Increased from 29.7m to 31.9m.Note on Method: Crown diameter is calculated by averaging two cross-sections: North-South and East-West. While the N-S line measured a massive 34.0m, dense growth made an accurate E-W reading impossible. To remain conservative, the historical average of 29.7m was reused for the E-W axis.
- Tree Height: The historical height of 39.4m was reused because the surrounding forest canopy completely blocked a clear line of sight for laser measurement. This is a highly conservative baseline constraint; it is mathematically certain that the tree has grown taller alongside its trunk and crown expansion.
Because of these environmental limitations, this measurement requires verification by a second surveyor to be considered 100% airtight.
A Call for a Systematic Remeasurement Programme
This discovery highlights a broader issue: national champion registries lose their scientific and comparative value when data is allowed to become decades old.
A systematic, state-backed remeasurement programme for any Champion Tree whose data is older than 10 years is highly overdue. At a minimum, these findings serve as an urgent call to action for the DFFE and the scientific community to get back into the field and update our national botanical records.
