Red Hot Poker

The vleis and riverbanks of the Midlands are dotted with lovely orange wands at the moment, commonly called red hot pokers. Making the most of the abundant rain and watery wetlands. Two species of Kniphofia flower at this time of the year. In the midlands, K. linearifolia is common, whereas, in the Drakensberg, you will…

River Lily

Crinum bulbispermum Common name: Orange River Lily, Afrikaans name: Vleilielie, Sotho Name: lelutla, Zulu name: umnduze Found naturally on river banks, in wetlands and seasonal pans, this large bulb produces big pink and white striped flowers in springtime. Up to 16 trumpet-shaped flowers form one inflorescence on the tall stalk, opening in succession to reveal…

Natal crocus

Apodolirion buchananii, icukudwane. This enchanting little bulb (part of the Amaryllidaceae family) is one of the first grassland flowers to bloom in Spring.  Usually, it is very obvious when fields have been burnt, but the small, solitary, white flowers are also easy to spot in dry, unburnt grass, as in the picture – the little…

An Impendle Summer

Plant enthusiasts find floral treasures wherever they wander. Sharp eyes spot interesting things along roadsides, on working farms and in residential areas – often in unexpected places.   The Impendle area is rich in special flora. Kniphofia laxiflora are particularly spectacular, Plenty of Kniphofia buchananii . The altitude in Impendle is much higher than the surrounding midlands, so it…

Orange Desmodium

Desmodium repandum Forget the Big Five or the Tallest Tree, it’s the little things in the forest that are really fascinating. Desmodium repandum is found all over Africa and is flowering in the Midlands at the moment. Although the flowers are tiny – less than 15mm – it is hard to miss the bright orange-red…

Autumn – isikhathi sokuvuna

You will know that Autumn is on the way when you feel a delicious chill around your ankles and the leaves of exotic planes and pin oaks turn scarlet, cinnamon and purple before falling. You can almost feel time passing in the air. It is time to relax and tune into the natural cycles, slow…

Falling Stars

Orange and scarlet Crocosmia are at their best in Autumn.  Crocosmia belong to the iris family. It is cosmopolitan family, consisting of approximately 82 genera and 1 700 species. Thirty-eight genera and over half the species occur in South Africa. They are very easy to grow and, ideally, should be left undisturbed to multiply on…

Bush Violet

Barleria obtusa This pretty perennial shrub flowers profusely at this time of year, adding contrasting blues to all the oranges and yellows of autumn. Known in isiZulu as idololenkonyane an in Afrikaans as Bosviooltjie. Naturally, it tends to scramble through other shrubs but can be cut to form a rounded bush or even clipped as a low hedge….