With the arrival of spring, the polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB) beetle’s growing threat to the town’s trees was discussed at a First Thursday-talk hosted by the Stellenbosch Art Mile.

On Thursday, 3 September, the event brought together leading researcher professor Francois Roets, and Stellenbosch-based artists Charlotte Moss and Anna van Pletsen to explore the science behind the PSHB infestation and the role of the borer beetle mural in spreading public awareness on the issue.

^{The mural titled Amongst the Ghost Oaks by Anna van Pletsen and Charlotte Moss forms part of this year’s exhibition by the Stellenbosch Art Mile along the Eerste River. It brings attention to the unfolding Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer beetle crisis threatening Stellenbosch’s English oak trees, according to Moss. PHOTO: Nerine Pienaar}

The Art Mile runs alongside the Eerste River, where many of Stellenbosch’s English oaks grow in the surrounding area. Upon closer inspection, the effects of the PSHB infestation can be noticed, said Van Pletsen.

Van Pletsen and Moss spoke about the artistic side of the project and the role that art can play in communicating important and complex topics. 

Prof Roets covered the history of the invasion in South Africa and the visible impacts seen in urban, natural and agricultural spaces. He also shared insights into the work that is currently being done in terms of biological control using fungi, mites and nematodes in the fight against PSHB.

“During the process of painting the mural, we were approached by many people walking along the Art Mile,” Van Pletsen said to SMF News leading up to the event. “It [became] more clear that many of Stellenbosch’s residents had no awareness of the Shot Hole Borer or its impact on the oak trees.”

^{Anna van Pletsen and Charlotte Moss are the artists behind Amongst the Ghost Oaks, an acrylic paint mural of the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer, situated next to the Eerste River as part of the Stellenbosch Art Mile. This mural aims to spread awareness of the threat that these beetles hold for Stellenbosch’s English oak trees. PHOTO: Nerine Pienaar}

This is an important discussion, said Van Pletsen. She hoped that it sparks conversation about how problems such as the shot hole borer invasion can be solved and avoided.

“The deterioration of Stellenbosch’s iconic oak trees as a result of the introduced borer beetle tells a particular story about the town’s history, its changing environment and the far-reaching effects of globalisation,” said Clara-Babette of Oude Leeskamer Gallery. 

She is the curator of the Art Mile’s exhibition for 2025/2026.

“By creating an artwork illustrating the beetle and tracing its movements, we wanted to offer the public insight into how it arrived in the Cape, how it spread, and why it has become so prolific,” she said.

^{The Stellenbosch Art Mile is an outdoor art exhibition that stretches from the pedestrian bridge at Krige Street to the Coetzenburg bridge. The exhibition includes interactive art installations and sensory experiences that are meant to make viewers stop and reflect, according to Clara-Babette, curator of the 2025/2026 exhibition. PHOTO: Nerine Pienaar}

“I don’t think people realise how it’s going to […] change our landscapes,” said Charlotte Moss, co-artist of the mural who is currently doing her honours in biodiversity and ecology at Stellenbosch University (SU), referring to the PSHB-invasion.

“The historic oak trees are also such a big, […] important, historical aspect of Stellenbosch specifically,” she said, with reference to the town being called the Eikestad (City of Oaks). “Most of them have been standing for 300 to 400 years. We’re kind of seeing the end of that era with this invasion.”

This conversation can highlight the solutions that are available, such as the replanting scheme currently taking place, said Moss. “By replanting trees, we ensure that we still have future tree cover in our urban environments.”