A veld fire offers an opportunity to see what comes up !
Rafnia racemosa is a woody shrub that shoots up after fire. Leaves are simple, elliptic and greyish-green. Pea-like flowers are yellow, 1-2cm long with a pointed keel tip and triangular calyx lobes, equal in size.
This species occurs in arid protea fynbos, arid renosterveld, waboomveld and sandolienveld in the western cape of South Africa.
Tongue-leafed mesemb, Glottiphyllum longum with seed pods or fruit capsules. this species flowers in autumn in the western cape, little karoo region.
The highly succulent leaves are oblong and slightly flattened. Stems are not normally visible and the plant exhibits clump-forming growth as opposed to trailing.
Very hardy.
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Tagged Africa, flowers, Indigenous plants, Medicinal plants, Plants, Succulents
Recently re-opened after flood damage, the Swartberg pass was built in 1887 by Thomas Bain. It connects the Little karoo to the Groot Karoo through the majestic Swartberg mountains. It is 24km of gravel road barely wide enough for two cars to pass. A favourite for mountain bikers.
Aloe tappers near Calitzdorp in the Little Karoo arrange the cut aloe leaves in a ring around a depression in the ground lined with plastic. Aloin sap flows from the aloe leaves and is collected in the plastic. It is then boiled and reduced to a resinous form taken as a laxative and for arthritis.
Leonotus, also known as wild dagga, a reference to the mild psychoactive properties of the plant. This popular garden shrub is widepread in South Africa and in addition to it’s many medicinal properties attracts sunbirds to it’s bright orange inflorescences.
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Tagged Africa, Eco-friendly, flowers, Indigenous plants, Medicinal plants, Plants, Sustainable
Calpurnia aurea being attended to by a pollinator. This small evergreen tree is indigenous to the eastern cape, natal and gauteng provinces of South Africa. It grows to 4m. It is fast growing and produces yellow pea-like flowers from 2yrs, making it the ideal ‘instant’ tree. It can be pruned into a compact shape and is frost tolerant.
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Helichrysum cymosum
Related to everlastings, this perrenial shrub volunteered on the allotment at Towerkop nursery. It grows to a metre high and flowers profusely from spring well into summer.
Occurs naturally on sandy slopes in damp places from the southwestern cape to Mpumalanga.
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Tagged Africa, flowers, Medicinal plants, Plants, Spring, water-wise
Sprawling succulent shrublet with a rosette of warty club shaped branches arising from a short thick stem (caudex). Endemic near Cape town, South Africa found in deep sand and on rocky outcrops.
“Euphorbias are characterized by their milky latex. Stipules are usually present, often modified into prickles and spines.
Many species produce peduncles (inflorescent stalks) which persist after the cyathia (cup-shaped structures) and capsules have withered.
In some species these persistent peduncles become sharpened at the tip and become true spines.
The individual flowers, set within a cyathium, which is the basic unit of the inflorescence of euphorbia, are surrounded by a number of bracts which form a unique floral envelope or involucre.
The flowers are unisexual with the male flower reduced to a single stamen on it’s own pedicel.
Curiously there is never more than one female flower in a cyathium, whereas the male flowers are always numerous.
Capsules usually consist of three cells. the cells seperate at maturity from a persistent axis, often freeing the seed with great force.”
This popular garden shrub attracts birds and butterflies to it’s tubular flowers, especially sunbirds!
It makes an effective hedge when trimmed but bushes out if left natural. Farmer’s encourage it’s growth along fences where it is kept in check by grazing animals.
Also called Cape honeysuckle, it is widely cultivated and very easy to propagate from cuttings or root suckers or runners.
It likes semi-shade to full sun, is drought tolerant and should be pruned back in late winter to encourage new growth.
The species occurs naturally in South Africa, Swaziland and southern Mozambique.
This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s award of garden merit.
Plant with Plumbago.
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Tagged Africa, flowers, Indigenous plants, Medicinal plants, Plants, Sustainable, water-wise
It is indigenous to the Little Karoo in the Western Cape, South Africa.
Towerkop Nursery 