Sydney bluegum is Africa's tallest tree

A Sydney bluegum tree (Eucalyptus saligna) in Limpopo is the tallest tree in Africa, the department of agriculture, forestry and fisheries says.

Spokesman Steven Galane said the tree measured 80 metres and broke the previous South African tree height record by a metre. It was also a new African tree height record.

The previous South African record was held by two bluegum trees measuring 79 metres.

"The Sydney gum tree towers above a stand of gum trees planted in 1906 in the Woodbush Forest Estate in Limpopo province," Galane said.

He said three giant Mexican pine trees (Pinus oocarpa) were also measured, the tallest of which measured over 50 metres.

"Few pine trees anywhere in the world reach these dimensions."

It was estimated that the pine trees, like their gum tree counterparts nearby, were older than a century.