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…

Ursinia tenuiloba

umuthi wezifuba Burnt grassland is dotted with cheerful clumps of this little daisy which open their faces to the sun each day.  Each flower is on a single stalk, but the clump produces many flowers.  The yellow petals are pinkish red underneath and it looks completely different when the flowers start to droop. The leaves…

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…