CAPE FLATS FYNBOS NURSERY

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• Roots

  Back in 2006 our Cape Flats Fynbos Nursery was established with the sole purpose of growing local lowland fynbos for Rondevlei Nature Reserve and surrounds. Although it began as a partnership between the City of Cape Town Nature Conservation and Friends of Zeekoevlei and Rondevlei, it subsequently privatised and expanded. The wholesale nursery is now a core supplier of the environmental projects of Friends groups, schools, urban greeners, landscapers and home gardeners, as well our own urban revegetation projects.

  Shoots

  We are pioneers of the cultivation of local wild plants, both drought-tolerant and wetland species. These are grown for veld types right across the Cape Town lowlands, to create urban biodiversity stepping stones that improve linkage between the City’s nature reserves. Such wildlife pit stops take the form of educational community outreach gardens, landscaping projects, eco-pools, wetlands and other fynbos rehabilitation projects.

  Locally indigenous planting projects proudly supplied by our wholesale Cape Flats Fynbos Nursery include the FundaFynbos Veld Circle Project; BOSSIES; Cape Wild Food Garden; Princessvlei revegetation; Lingcungcu sunbird gardens; Vergenoegd Waterbird Habitat and Water Conservation Project; Plankenbrug River Restorer; Lotus River restoration project; Three Arts Theatre Diep River rehabilitation; Park Island Labyrinth; Rotary Labyrinth Glencairn; Source to Sea; Muizenberg East Conservation Cluster; Project Pagasvlei; Every Nation Church Retreat; Lotus River High School; Newlands Spring; Zandvlei education wetland; Capricorn Business Park and Villa d’Algarve strandveld rehabilitation; Communitree Peace Gardens; Fynbos for the Future, Keysers River and Royal Cape Golf Course rehabilitation, to name a few.

  Species selected for our own revegetation projects are replanted in the appropriate veld type within a 10km radius of their source.

• Leaves

  The nursery produces 147 plant species (and counting) grown strictly from Cape Town lowland genetic stock (both seed and cuttings).

  Our locally indigenous greening guidelines include planting recommendations, as well as lists, descriptions and images of horticulturally viable species which are keyed according to Cape Town’s lowland veld types. The City of Cape Town vegetation map (with suburbs overlaid) is appended for ease of reference when selecting species according to veld type. Plant communities currently represented include Cape Flats Sand Fynbos (Critically Endangered, endemic), Cape Flats Dune Strandveld (Endangered, endemic), South Peninsula Granite Fynbos (Critically Endangered, endemic), Cape Lowland Freshwater Wetland (Vulnerable), Peninsula Shale Renosterveld (Critically Endangered, endemic), Swartland Shale Renosterveld (Critically Endangered), Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos (Critically Endangered, endemic) and Hangklip Sand Fynbos (Vulnerable). Here endemism refers to species endemic to the City.

  Locally indigenous greening guidelines published by FynbosLIFE are obtainable by email on receipt of a donation of R50 that will support our work.

  Gift vouchers redeemable at our retail nursery are available for purchase online

  

Learning about locals

Click on the images below to read about some of the local wild plants we propagate at the Cape Flats Fynbos Nursery and how to grow them in your Cape Town garden.

• Athanasia crithmifolia
  ASTERACEAE
  
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Athanasia crithmifolia
ASTERACEAE

• A wonder plant that occurs in a range of Cape Town lowland veld types including sand fynbos, granite fynbos, wetlands and renosterveld. This fast-growing evergreen shrub displays attractive, soft, feathery foliage and reaches 2m in height. Its late spring/early summer flowering season sees it awash with dense, rich, golden-yellow umbels (big fluffy pompoms!) which become a very inviting pollen and nectar source for beetles, bees, butterflies and more. A veritable pollinator refuelling station!
• Flowering time: October-December
  In your garden: Plant in full sun and well-drained soil, and water well to establish, water-wise thereafter. No compost or fertiliser. Perfect as a filler in new gardens or to transform a dull area into a pocket of sunshine.
  Distribution: Found growing on sandy flats and slopes, often along drainage lines, in the southwestern Cape
  Image: ©️ Caitlin von Witt

 

 

 
• Athanasia trifurcata
  ASTERACEAE
  
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Athanasia trifurcata
ASTERACEAE

• Drought, you say? Kouterbos don’t mind! This water-wise species occurs in a range of Cape Town lowland veld types including Cape Flats Sand Fynbos, South Peninsula Granite Fynbos, and Peninsula and Swartland Shale Renosterveld. It is a shrublet to 1.5m tall with rough, waxy, grey, wedge-shaped leaves. The specific epithet ‘trifurcata’ refers to the three forks at the tips of the leaves. Clusters of bright yellow flowerheads (with 5-100 florets each) make their presence known during the late spring flowering season. As a common pioneer plant, it may be overlooked by many botanists, but never by its bee, wasp, beetle, thrip and butterfly pollinators, making it a very valuable insect forage plant for urban gardens.
• Flowering time: (September) October-December
  In your garden: Plant in full sun in clay or sandy soils. Water to establish, extremely water-wise thereafter. Adaptable and easy to grow. A useful feathery filler between species with fresh green foliage, such as Salvia chamelaeagnea.
  Distribution: Flats and rocky slopes from Namaqualand in the north to Port Elizabeth in the east, often colonising roadsides and other disturbed sites
  Image: © James Puttick

 

 

 
• Cliffortia obcordata
  ROSACEAE
  
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Cliffortia obcordata
ROSACEAE

• A constituent of Cape Flats Sand Fynbos, Cape Flats Dune Strandveld and South Peninsula Granite Fynbos, this unconventional scrambling shrub grows to about 1.3m. The specific epithet ‘obcordata’ derives from the latin ‘ob’ meaning ‘reversed’ and ‘cordata’ meaning ‘heart-shaped’, referring to the upside-down heart leaves. Despite being a close relative of the rose, it has flowers that are so tiny they may only be visible to the trained eye. Their inconspicuous nature, lack of nectar and scent, and high pollen loads are all adaptations to wind pollination. Separate male and female flowers rely on air currents to blow the light pollen from the long, dangly male flowers to the feathery female.
• Flowering time: March-November
  In your garden: A hardy, drought-resistant species, tolerant of sea spray, hence ideally suited to windy coastal conditions. Use as a contrast filler or even shape it into a low hedge.
   Distribution: Flats and lower slopes from the Cape Peninsula to Stilbaai
  Image: © James Puttick

 

 

 
• Coleonema album
  RUTACEAE
  
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Coleonema album
RUTACEAE

• A dainty sweet-smelling buchu, the confetti bush has linear leaves that create a soft-textured delicate appearance, making it one of the prettiest fynbos plants to have in your garden. Flowering season brings with it a little sprinkling of confetti in the form of a mass of tiny, white, honey-scented, star-shaped flowers that attract a multitude of insect pollinators. Its sweet-smelling citrus leaves contain essential oils with anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties.
• Flowering time: August-October
  In your garden: For gardens on the lower slopes of Table Mountain or along the coast, where it is well-adapted to salt-laden air and sandy conditions in Cape Flats Dune Strandveld. Plant in full sun in well-drained soil. Cut back after seed set to keep its shape.
  Distribution: Southwestern Cape along the coast and on granite or sandstone outcrops
  Image: © James Puttick

 

 

 
• Elegia tectorum
  RESTIONACEAE
  
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Elegia tectorum
RESTIONACEAE

• The Cape thatching reed is a tufted perennial restio 1-2m in height. At our Cape Flats Fynbos Nursery we grow the ‘dwarf’ form from Fish Hoek, sought after by landscapers for its neat habit. The specific epithet ‘tectorum’ derives from the Latin ‘roofing’ which refers to its traditional use in thatching. This is a dioecious species (i.e. separate male and female plants) whose tall flowering stems are topped with compact terminal golden-brown flowerheads. Although the male flowers provide food for pollen-collecting bees, the plants are not pollinated by bees. Instead they rely on gusts of wind to transfer pollen to the female plants. Not only do the flowers nourish urban bees, but the seeds are relished by granivorous birds.
• Flowering time: May-October
  In your garden: A superb accent plant in wetland gardens or natural pool margins, owing to its clump-forming growth form and strong architectural shape. Plant in full sun in well-drained soil in an area that receives good air flow. It may look tough, but this is not a water-wise plant! Will need regular watering if not planted in permanently damp soil. Do not cut back to reduce its height as this will cause the plant to slowly die off.
  Distribution: Damp sandy areas and seasonal marshes in the Western and Eastern Cape
  Image ©️ James Puttick

 

 

 
• Eriocephalus africanus
  ASTERACEAE
  
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Eriocephalus africanus
ASTERACEAE

• Why buy exotic rosemary when you can grow your very own local Cape Town lowland plants? Not only are the leaves edible, but the flowers provide a beautiful winter display when little else is flowering. The Afrikaans name ‘kapokbos’ refers to the fluffy white seedheads which resemble snow. These are used by birds to create a soft duvet-like lining for their nests.

  Drink the leaves as a tea to cure coughs and colds; use them in pot pourri sachets, or sprinkle them over salmon fillets and bake in the oven on a bed of dune spinach a la MakingKos!

• Flowering time: May-July
  In your garden: For full sun in sand, loam or clay soils. Water to establish, extremely waterwise thereafter. Plants reach 1.5m in height and can be kept tidy by regular pruning/harvesting for culinary use.
  Distribution: Widespread in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Namaqualand where it grows on sandy flats and clay and granite slopes
  Image: ©️ James Puttick

 

 

 
• Felicia filifolia
  ASTERACEAE
  
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Felicia filifolia
ASTERACEAE

• Stop the clocks, Felicia filifolia’s in flower! This twiggy shrublet with its eponymous needle-like leaves may go unnoticed for most of the year…until late spring, when it transforms into a stunning mass of dainty mauve flowers. A popular insect pollinator pit stop that attracts many insectivorous birds to a garden.
• Flowering time: August/September-December
  In your garden: A great water-wise plant suitable for dry, sandy, windy conditions. Thrives in full sun. Interplant with local helichrysums for contrasting green/grey foliage. Prune after the first wave of flowers has set seed.
  Distribution: Rocky and mountainous areas from the Cape to the Karoo and as far north as Namibia
  Image: © Caitlin von Witt

 

 

 
• Geranium incanum
  GERANIACEAE
  
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Geranium incanum
GERANIACEAE

• Found in a whole range of Cape Town lowland veld types, particularly seasonal wetlands in Cape Flats Dune Strandveld, this trailing perennial groundcover has delicate, lace-like foliage and pale pink-white flowers. These attract a diverse range of tiny insect pollinators and host a number of butterfly and moth species.

  Brewing the leaves makes a medicinal tea that helps ease cramps and lower back pain—its called vrouebossie (or ‘women’s tea’) for a reason!

• Flowering time: July-December
  In your garden: Adds soft texture to sunny, permanently damp beds—even tolerates grey water, but will not survive drying out for prolonged periods of time. Trim back after flowering to encourage new growth.
  Distribution: Cape Peninsula to the Eastern Cape on stony and sandy soils along the coast

 

 

 
• Helichrysum cymosum
  ASTERACEAE
  
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Helichrysum cymosum
ASTERACEAE

• Forget the red carpet…say hello to the gold carpet! As variable as it is widely distributed, this neat plant grows into either a mat-forming groundcover or a shrub to 80cm depending on factors like soil type, nutrients, wind and rainfall. Its grey elliptical leaves are beautifully complemented by a sea of discoid canary-yellow flowerheads in late spring/summer. Besides providing much-needed food for bees, this is an important plant in traditional medicine, with the twigs and aromatic leaves being used by people in the Eastern Cape to alleviate pain and clean wounds.
• Flowering time: September-April
  In your garden: Beware, this little guy is a wolf in sheep’s clothing! The woolly grey underside of the leaves gives it a water-wise appearance, but it only really thrives in damp spots. The low-growing form is ideal for moist coastal gardens, being well adapted for salt air and sandy conditions. Plant in full sun or semi-shade and water well.
  Distribution: Mpumalanga to the southwestern Cape on sandy slopes and flats
  Image: © James Puttick

 

 

 
• Jordaaniella dubia
  AIZOACEAE
  
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Jordaaniella dubia
AIZOACEAE

• A constituent of Cape Flats Dune Strandveld, this hardy, creeping vygie is a coastal succulent with slender, finger-like leaves. The large, cheerful yellow flowers shimmer in the midday sunshine, attracting bees, wasps and butterflies in search of a delicious pollen meal.
• Flowering time: May-September
  In your garden: An excellent groundcover for coastal gardens. Plant it at the base of a shrub in well-drained, sandy soil. The trailing stems will creep out from the shelter of the nurse plant into open sunny areas, where they tolerate dry, windy conditions.
  Distribution: Southwestern Cape along the coast from Lambert’s Bay to Hermanus
  Image: © Caitlin von Witt

 

 

 
• Kiggelaria africana
  ACHARIACEAE
  
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Kiggelaria africana
ACHARIACEAE

• The leaves of this remarkable tree provide food for Acraea horta caterpillars, which strip the branches to make way for new leaves that resemble those of the eponymous peach tree. The caterpillars are in turn eaten by Klaas’s, Diederick’s and red-chested cuckoos here in Cape Town. And if that’s not wildlife-friendly enough, insects pollinate the pretty pale yellow flowers and a variety of birds relish the fruit with its colourful orange seed coats!
• Flowering time: August-January
  In your garden: If there’s one tree that will attract biodiversity to your garden, this is it. As a fast-growing pioneer, it is easy to grow and serves as a windbreak in coastal areas, or grows to a large tree of 8-12m in more sheltered gardens. Plant in full sun to semi-shade, water well to establish and add a thick layer of compost or wood chip mulch.
  Distribution: Cape Peninsula to Kenya, from the coast to inland forest, often along streams but also on dry slopes. Within their range they play an essential role in supporting the return of wildlife to highly transformed urban areas. Besides being key contributors to Cape Town’s green lungs, their prevalence in the Zandvlei catchment helps take pressure off the Critically Endangered Cape Flats Sand Fynbos at Tokai Park by offering shaded trails for walkers in the Constantia greenbelts.
  Image: Acraea horta butterflies on fresh leaves of Kiggelaria africana ©️ Caitlin von Witt

 

 

 
• Leonotis leonurus
  LAMIACEAE
  
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Leonotis leonurus
LAMIACEAE

• The sunbirds are coming! Conceivably the easiest plant to grow in a Cape garden, this is also one of the most rewarding. When its large, tubular flowers burst open, they provide birds, bees, butterflies and little children with a feast of nectar. No less than four species of sunbirds have been known to visit Leonotis leonurus flowers in gardens in Cape Town…can you name them? What’s more, if you’re in need of an excellent flu remedy, simply steep a few leaves in boiling water and drink the tea. Commonly known as wild dagga, it was originally smoked by the Khoekhoe people for its calming effects, much like cannabis.
• Flowering time in Cape Town: March-June, with a lesser show in spring
  In your garden: Plant in full sun in sand, loam or clay soils. Water to establish, extremely water-wise and fast-growing thereafter. Prune right back (20cm above ground level) after seedfall to promote fresh growth.
  Distribution: Common in rocky areas, grasslands and forest margins from the southwestern Cape to Gauteng
  Image: © James Puttick

 

 

 
• Leucadendron coniferum
  PROTEACEAE
  
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Leucadendron coniferum
PROTEACEAE

• Whoever said proteas were fickle hasn’t met the dune conebush! This guy – or girl (being dioecious, each plant has either male or female flowers) – is arguably one of the most steadfast garden plants around. Given a little help settling into a new environment, it will put down a deep taproot to form a large shrub with a show of sprightly green leaves come rain or shine. This remarkable protea has the ability to grow in sandy, loamy or clayey soils, whether these be slightly acidic, neutral or even quite alkaline – which explains how it has made a home in Cape Flats Sand Fynbos, Hangklip Sand Fynbos, Peninsula Granite Fynbos AND Cape Flats Dune Strandveld here in Cape Town! Sadly with such mastery comes a Vulnerable red list status, since our tolbossie friend is threatened by humans and invasive alien plants destroying its varied lowland habitat. On the plus side, if you plant one in your Cape Town garden, not only will you help protect the species, but hungry urban beetles and other insect pollinators will thank you for their flower food.
• Flowering time: August-September
  In your garden: Plant with the early winter rains and water over the first two summers. Avoid disturbing the roots when weeding. Withstands dry, sandy, windy conditions.
  Distribution: Cape Peninsula to Soetanysberg
  Image: © Caitlin von Witt

 

 

 
• Leucadendron laureolum
  PROTEACEAE
  
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Leucadendron laureolum
PROTEACEAE

• The golden sunshinebush has lost a few populations on the Cape Flats to urban development; fortunately those remaining are dense and extensive. Given its stable population trend, it is red-listed as Least Concern. This is a large shrub that can grow over 2m in height and is dioecious, meaning that it has separate female and male plants. The winter flowering season brings about small, lightly fruit-scented yellow flowers that attract beetle pollinators. After flowering, the female flowerheads continue to grow and form yellow cones that are retained on the bush for several years. Once the cone has dried out the seeds are released. In the wild these plants are killed by fire, with the cones first protecting the seeds during the fire and thereafter opening up to release them for dispersal.
• Flowering time: July
  In your garden: Drought and wind tolerant. Thrives in acidic, nutrient-poor soils and likes a sunny spot in well-drained sand. It is perfectly suited to gardens on sandy flats, but also does well in rockeries and coastal fynbos gardens. Only use well decomposed compost – NO fertiliser or manure.
  Distribution: Found in the southwestern Cape on sandstone slopes and sandy flats
  Image: © James Puttick

 

 

 
• Leucadendron levisanus
  PROTEACEAE
  
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Leucadendron levisanus
PROTEACEAE

• The Critically Endangered Cape Flats conebush used to be common in seasonally wet areas of the Cape Town lowlands until urban development reduced its distribution range to just a few small populations. It is an erect, well-branched shrub than can grow to 2m in height, and is dioecious, meaning that it has separate male and female plants. The flowers, which are predominantly beetle-pollinated, form in spring and early summer, with the male flowerhead producing flowers that are sweet-smelling and bright yellow in colour and the mature female flowerheads forming cones.
• Flowering time: September-November
  In your garden: With a beautiful flowering display, this species is a great addition to a Cape Flats Sand Fynbos garden where it grows in damp, acidic, well-drained sand in full sun. It thrives when placed within a closely-growing, diverse selection of species, as the plants protect each other, binding the sandy soil and keeping the roots cool. Just be sure not to add fertiliser, as this may cause the plants to take up excess nutrients and die.
  Distribution: Endemic to the City of Cape Town, where it occurs from Mamre to the Cape Flats
  Image: © James Puttick

 

 

 
• Mentha longifolia subsp. capensis
  LAMIACEAE
  
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Mentha longifolia subsp. capensis
LAMIACEAE

• There’s no mint like wild mint!

  A constituent of Cape Lowland Freshwater Wetlands and South Peninsula Granite Fynbos, this perennial herb has creeping underground rhizomes and fresh long green leaves. It is commonly found near streams and in marshes as it loves to keep its feet wet. Flower stems bear many small pale purple or white flowers that are a real hit with visiting bees and butterflies!

  Most mints are aromatic and this species is no exception; brush past it in your garden and your nose will be filled with the richest peppermint scent. As well as smelling wonderful, it has the sweetest flavour…add it to a jug of iced water and lemon…or try it with a pink G&T for a refreshing summer drink, or with hot choc when it’s chilly. It can even be used for medicinal purposes: a tea brewed from the leaves can relieve coughs, colds and headaches.

• Flowering time: November-April
  In your garden: Plant in full sun in damp, compost-rich soil; great for a grey water wetland, eco-pool or under a dripping tap
  Distribution: Widespread; Cape Peninsula to KZN
  Image: ©️ James Puttick

 

 

 
• Monopsis lutea
  LOBELIACEAE
  
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Monopsis lutea
LOBELIACEAE

• This fynbos endemic steals the show in summertime! The gold lobelia is a perennial herb with narrowly elliptical, toothed leaves borne on trailing stems, and clusters of small, bright yellow flowers that peep out amongst shrubs during summer. The flowers resemble cheery little faces, but unlike the genus name ‘Monopsis’, which derives from the Greek ‘monos’ meaning ‘solitary/one’ and ‘opsis’ meaning ‘face’, the flowers of Monopsis lutea are actually two-faced! The petals at the top form one ‘face’ and the petals below, another! This muddle came about because the nomenclatural type specimen of Monopsis debilis (the specimen for which the genus Monopsis was named) has regular, one-faced flowers. Fortunately, the specific epithet ‘lutea’ more accurately refers to the flowers’ unmistakably yellow colour. These little flowers attract a host of insect pollinators, including butterflies and megachilid bees, and the fruit capsules are the bonnes bouches of seed-eating birds.
• Flowering time: November-April
  In your garden: Plant in full sun in rich, well-drained, permanently moist soil; a great addition when planted around ponds, eco-pools or greywater wetlands. Cut back after seed set and don’t be surprised if the plants disappear over winter; they are seasonal and will resprout again in late spring when temperatures rise. A perfect companion for Erica verticillata: keep an eye out for them growing together in Tokai Park…
  Distribution: Damp sandy flats and lower slopes, often along seeps or streams, from the Grootwinterhoek mountains of the southwestern Cape to Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape
  Image © James Puttick Photography

 

 

 
• Muraltia mitior
  POLYGALACEAE
  
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Muraltia mitior
POLYGALACEAE

• Once common in Cape Town, this Endangered beauty remains at only three alien-infested fragments in Cape Flats Dune Strandveld and Cape Flats Sand Fynbos, having lost more than 90% of its habitat to urbanisation. A hop, skip and jump across to the Agulhas Plain reveals three more disjunct subpopulations with similar threats. It is an unusual shrub with slender finger-like branches dotted with pretty purple flowers, like purple wands waving in the wind!
• Flowering time: July-February
  In your garden: For seasonally wet garden spots. Perfect for eco-pool or grey water wetland surrounds where it can keep its feet wet. Known to pique the interest of bees, butterflies and rare plant collectors alike.
  Distribution: Found growing on coastal dunes and sandy flats in low-lying areas on the Cape Flats and the Agulhas Plain
  Image: © James Puttick

 

 

 
• Osteospermum fruticosum
  ASTERACEAE
  
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Osteospermum fruticosum
ASTERACEAE

• As a semi-succulent prostrate groundcover, the trailing African daisy is well-adapted to the dry, sandy, windy conditions of its Cape Flats Dune Strandveld habitat. It has cheerful green spoon-shaped leaves and daisy-like flowers with white to purple ray florets surrounding dark violet disc florets. The mass floral display in early spring attracts a host of butterflies, beetles and other interesting goggos to urban gardens.
• Flowering time: July-November
  In your garden: For full sun in well-drained soil. Ideal as a fast-growing filler for existing flower beds or for soft texture cascading over a retaining wall. Best suited to coastal gardens.
  Distribution: Found growing on coastal dunes from the West Coast to KZN
  Illustration: J. Miller, 1755-1760

 

 

 
• Pelargonium cucullatum
  GERANIACEAE
  
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Pelargonium cucullatum
GERANIACEAE

• Also known as the tree pelargonium, this showy shrub grows from 1-2m and produces inflorescences of large pink-purple, occasionally white, flowers in late spring. With these come insect and bird visitors in abundance.

  There are three subspecies, two of which occur on the Cape Peninsula. Of these, P. cucullatum subsp. cucullatum has hairy, hood-shaped leaves with angular incisions in the outer half. The leaves of P. cucullatum subsp. tabulare are also hairy, but round in shape.

• Flowering time: September-February, mainly late October
  In your garden: For coastal gardens in well-drained sandy soil in full sun. Water-wise once established. Be sure to plant the correct subspecies for your area…
  Distribution: Coastal flats and mountain foothills in the southwestern Cape
  🟪P. cucullatum subsp. cucullatum: cooler slopes near the beach, east of False Bay (and west of False Bay from Gordon’s Bay to Gansbaai)
  🟣P. cucullatum subsp. tabulare: usually on drier slopes around the Cape Peninsula (and at Saldanha Bay)
  Image: P. cucullatum subsp. cucullatum ©️ Caitlin von Witt

 

 

 
• Phylica ericoides
  RHAMNACEAE
  
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Phylica ericoides
RHAMNACEAE

• Found in remnant natural areas in Cape Town from the coast to Constantia in strandveld, sand fynbos and granite fynbos, this compact, branched shrublet has rich dark green foliage that reaches 80cm in height. It is aptly named for its revolute, needle-like, ‘ericoid’ leaves. Small but showy button-shaped, white flowerheads are produced en masse in late summer/early autumn when little else is flowering, delighting many a hungry bee, butterfly or beetle out of season.
• Flowering time: February-June
  In your garden: Plant in full sun in well-drained soil and water well to establish. A great water-wise plant suitable for dry, sandy, windy conditions.
  Distribution: Saldanha to Cape Town and up the east coast to southern tropical Africa
  Image: © James Puttick

 

 

 
• Plecostachys serpyllifolia
  ASTERACEAE
  
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Plecostachys serpyllifolia
ASTERACEAE

• The pretty little cobwebbush is a delicate, lightly sprawling shrub that thrives in seasonally wet areas on the Cape Flats. The undersides of its oval-shaped leaves are covered in a velvety carpet of silvery hairs, giving the plant a soft texture. Clusters of unassuming creamy-white-pink florets support small insect pollinators in winter when little else is flowering.
• Flowering time: March-May
  In your garden: Plant in full sun in well-drained, moist soil. The fleecy, pale grey foliage provides striking colour and texture contrasts against lime-green tufted sedges in a wetland garden.
  Distribution: KwaZulu-Natal to the Cape Peninsula in damp coastal zones
  Image: © James Puttick

 

 

 
• Psoralea pinnata
  FABACEAE
  
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Psoralea pinnata
FABACEAE

• A fast-growing tree to 4m, this Cape Town local produces a mass of pretty lilac flowers in late spring/summer – long after most spring-flowering species are over.
• Flowering time: October-January
  In your garden: Suitable for sunny, seasonally wet gardens, artificial wetlands or eco-pool surrounds. Expect a buzz of carpenter bees, seed- and insect-eating birds and softly filtered light reaching the bed below. Use a sturdy stake and keep vertical branches trimmed to prevent plants from falling over in gale force winds.
  Distribution: Clanwilliam to Cape Town and up the east coast to Mpumalanga
  Image: © James Puttick

 

 

 
• Salvia chamelaeagnea
  LAMIACEAE
  
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Salvia chamelaeagnea
LAMIACEAE

• In late summer, just as our dry Cape Town gardens seem to reach the point of no return, bloublomsalie bursts into flower and restores hope to any dejected drought gardener! Bee, butterfly and even bird visitors remind us that our gardens are an essential source of food for wildlife in need.
• Flowering time: November-May
  In your garden: Plant in full sun in sand, loam or clay soils. Water to establish, water-wise thereafter. Prune hard after seedfall to promote fresh growth.
  Distribution: Widespread in SA where it grows on slopes and flats, both in seepage and dry rocky areas
  Image: © James Puttick

 

 

 
• Serruria foeniculacea
  PROTEACEAE
  
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Serruria foeniculacea
PROTEACEAE

• Saved from the brink of extinction (two remaining plants!) in 1987, the Critically Endangered Rondevlei spiderhead forms a delicate shrub with sweetly scented bee- and butterfly-pollinated silvery pink flowers. It is actually a lax growth form of Serruria aemula, and is also known as Serruria aemula var. foeniculacea. Our Cape Flats Fynbos Nursery is honoured to be one of the key players ensuring the survival of this beautiful species, having kept it alive and well in cultivation over the years and planted it back in a number of sites in and around Rondevlei Nature Reserve.
• Flowering time: July-October
  In your garden: Plant in full sun or semi-shade in seasonal wetland or irrigated applications with acid sands. No compost or fertiliser!
  Distribution: Endemic (confined) to Cape Flats Sand Fynbos in Rondevlei Nature Reserve
  Image: © James Puttick

 

 

 
• Struthiola dodecandra
  THYMELAEACEAE
  
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Struthiola dodecandra
THYMELAEACEAE

• What better common name than ‘soetgonna’ to describe a species so true to the Cape! This name, meaning ‘sweet slender shrub’, fuses words from both Afrikaans (‘soet’) and Kora (‘gonna’) languages of early Cape Town. It refers to the flowers’ olfactory cues for pollinator attraction, and the fibrous stems used for rope-making. Pollinated by moths, the pale pinkish-white flowers are easily detected during the dark night-time hours by their colour and ability to produce highly fragrant volatile chemicals (with the scent being carried on warm air currents).
• Flowering time: All year round
  In your garden: Plant in full sun in moist sand or clayey soils – perfect for grey water wetland surrounds
  Distribution: Damp lower sandstone slopes and lowlands from the Cape Peninsula to the southern Cape
  Image: © James Puttick

 

 

 
• Trachyandra ciliata
  ASPHODELACEAE
  
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Trachyandra ciliata
ASPHODELACEAE

• There’a a lot to love about veldkool! With its edible fleshy leaves and flower buds, this tufted perennial sprawls to about 50cm in height. Come spring it produces ephemeral, white, scented, star-like flowers in clusters called racemes. The trailing flowering stems are best eaten before the flowers open and prepared much like asparagus. Also highly recommended fried in olive oil with chilli and garlic.
• Flowering time: July-October
  In your garden: Perfect for sun and sand in coastal veggie gardens. Don’t be alarmed when the plants die back during summer – they will resprout from their swollen rootstock in winter and reward you with a rich harvest in spring. Be sure to leave some flowering stems for foraging bees and other insects to feast on pollen and nectar when the flowers open!
  Distribution: Common along the coast from Namibia to the Cape Peninsula and the southeastern Cape
  Image: © James Puttick

 

 

 
• Watsonia meriana
  IRIDACEAE
  
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Watsonia meriana
IRIDACEAE

• This showy member of the iris family is a hardy perennial with tubular, peachy-red flowers to 2m and sword-shaped leaves to 60cm. The brightly coloured flower spikes attract many a sunbird pollinator in search of nectar. After seed set, the plant dies back, hiding out underground in the form of a corm, and resprouting again the following autumn when conditions are favourable. Watsonia meriana var. bulbillifera is able to produce bulbils (a small bulb-like structure that may fall off and produce a new plant) in its leaf axes. This cunning reproductive strategy has resulted in it becoming a bad invader in parts of Australia, New Zealand and California. The other more innocuous local variety, W. meriana var. meriana, reproduces from seed.
• Flowering time: September-November
  In your garden: Plant the corms in a sunny spot in seasonally inundated, well-drained, acid sand
  Distribution: Southwestern Cape to Namaqualand along streambanks or in vleis
  Illustration: P.J. Redouté, 1805-1816