Spring Grassland Flowers

While Namaqualand gets all the publicity, the spring flowers of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands grasslands are an absolute delight for those who don’t follow the crowds. Only one in six plant species in grassland is actually a grass, with most of the perennial plants living for many years – re-sprouting annually, rather than seeding.  This means…

Mount Gilboa

“Yes, Yes!” a voice floated through the swirling mist on Mt Gilboa last week. It was John Roff, delighted at finding Disa nervosa in bloom. This plant mimics Watsonia and in the flower filled grassland certainly looked just like all the other Watsonias from a distance.  Apparently, the similar colour and size of the inflorescences on different plants in the same location increases chances of being…