Bird of paradise, Strelitzia is a close relative of the banana. The striking flowers of this species are evolved to attract bird pollinators.Birds also eat and disperse the seeds. The cut flowers are popular. This stemless perennial are native to South Africa and occurs in coastal areas in well drained soil along forest margins.
Seeds with their orange wooly arils.
Posted in FEATURED PLANTS
Tagged Africa, flowers, Horticulture, Indigenous plants, Plants
This Babiana plant is a perennial corm bulb in the Iris family. Apparently favoured by baboons that eat it’s corms (hence babiana), it survives amongst rock crevices on sandstone slopes and flats where it flowers in early spring. Possibly B. ambigua, this one was found growing on the Swartberg mountains in the little Karoo.
Posted in ORGANIC PRODUCE
Tagged Africa, flowers, Horticulture, Indigenous plants, Plants, water-wise
Senecio or Kleinia articularis is a succulent with blue-gray jointed stems resembling a string of sausages hence it’s name hotdog plant or ‘worsies’.
It has ivy shaped leaves that are seen seasonally, otherwise the stems are bare.
They spread and ramble under larger shrubs in the spekboomveld and gwarrieveld of the western cape and eastern cape of South Africa.
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Tagged Africa, Horticulture, Indigenous plants, Plants, Succulents, water-wise
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
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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Tagged Africa, flowers, Horticulture, Indigenous plants, Medicinal plants, organic, Plants, Sustainable, Trees
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
Plumbago is an evergreen shrub often grown as a climber. It produces masses of sky-blue flowers all through summer. Also comes in white and deep blue. Plumbago makes a very good formal or informal hedge and responds well to pruning. It is fast growing, drought resistent and tolerant of frost. Attracts butterflies. Grows well with Tecomaria.
Ornithogalum thyrsoides is a bulbous perrenial bearing a raceme of glossy white flowers.
It occurs on sandy flats and lower slopes from Namaqualand to the southern cape.
Now flowering at Towerkop Nursery, I just love the name ‘Chincherinchee’ !
Posted in FEATURED PLANTS
Tagged Africa, flowers, Horticulture, Indigenous plants, Plants
Towerkop Nursery 