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
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There are many different ways for you to get involved in Cape Town’s locally indigenous greening movement: you can plant your own LIFE garden, volunteer your time, donate money or other resources, fundraise, or shop for botanical products in support of our organisation.
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Sponsors & Partners
- Mapula Trust
- City of Cape Town Environmental Management
- City of Cape Town Recreation and Parks
- CTEET (Cape Town Environmental Education Trust)
- SANBI (South African National Biodiversity Institute)
- WESSA (Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa)
- Friends of Tokai Park
- Friends of Constantia Valley Greenbelts
- Keurboom Park Association
- Happy By Nature
- CoralBloom Studio
- Zandvlei Trust
- iNaturalist
- Botanical Society of South Africa
- NCC (Nature Conservation Corporation)
- Good Hope Gardens Nursery
- Ingcungcu
- GreenPop
- Communitree
- JL Treefell
- Friends of Zeekoevlei and Rondevlei
- Enviropaedia
- Princessvlei Forum
- South Peninsula Conservation
- Friends of Park Island
