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