OUR COASTAL TREASURE

Plants that flower between Jul – Dec

Achyranthes sordescens – Everlasting

Densely leafy, grey woolly shrublet grows up to about 1 m. Flower-heads few in terminal clusters, whitish bracts. Classified as Vulnerable. Dec – Jan

Agathosma apiculata – Garlic Buchu

Densely leafy and garlic scented when crushed. Spine on leaf-tips. White flowers. Common Jun – Oct

Agathosma stenopetala – Lemon Garlic

Leaves lemon scented when crushed. White flowers. Classified as Vulnerable Jun – Sept

Anchusa capensis – Forget-me-not

Blue to dark blue flowers. Softy hairy annual. Sept – Nov

Bonatea speciosa – Green Wood Orchid

Found in shady places. Large green and white flowers. Wide spread but not common. Sept – Dec

Carpobrotus deliciosus – Ghaukums

Flowers are magenta. Succulent leaves. Fruits make good jam. Jul – Oct

Cullumia decurrens – Prickle Bush

Very showy shrublet with bright yellow flower-heads and very prickly, recurved, shiny green leaves. Jul – Oct

Dimorphotheca fruticosa – African Dune Daisy

Creeping perenial with upright largish white flowers which are purple on reverse side. Plentiful and particularly showy around lighthouse and along the coast. Jul – Oct

Eulophia speciosa – Golden Harlequin Orchid

Large, up to 900mm tall, yellow, long-lasting Orchid. Leaves leathery, channelled and fully developed at time of flowering. Oct – Jan

Felicia echinata – Dune Daisy

Straggling bushes with mauve ray florets and yellow disc florets. Fairly common. Apr – Oct

Gasteria acinacifolia

Pendulous, tubular, salmon-pink flowers with green tips borne on almost horizontal branches from the main stem. Up to l m tall. Oct – Nov

Gladiolus floribundus

Flowers with long tubes, white to pink with dark middle streaks through each petal.. Oct – Nov

Helichrysum teretifolium – Straw Flower

Compact, much branched, shrub up to 500 mm. Very common. White flowers. Aug – Nov

Moraea australis – Grasuitjie

Solitary longish leaf, single pale blue flower with inner tepals erect. Widespread and common in our area but is classified as Near Threatened Sept – Nov

Pelargonium capitatum – Rose-scented Pelargonium

Tightly packed heads of pale to dark pink flowers with darker markings on the 2 upper petals. Sept – Feb

Pelargonium suburbanum – Dune Malva

Sprawling perennial with large pink flowers. The 3 lower petals are much smaller than the 2 large upper petals which are heavily veined in dark purple. Classified as Vulnerable. Sept – Mar

Polygala myrtifolia – September Bush

Quite common shrub with purplish flowers. Widespread. Mainly Jul – Oct.

Salvia aurea – Bruin Salie

Aromatic silvery grey-green shrub. Large orange-brown flowers. Widespread and fairly common. Sept – Nov

Senecio elegans – Dune Cineraria

Flowers largish, deep pink ray florets, yellow disc florets. Very common in Spring and create carpets of pink in places. Sept – Nov

Satyrium princeps – Pink Satyrium 

This orchid has bright red flowers in dense racemes.  Two large prostrate leaves.  Found in grassy places. Classified as Vulnerable.  Sept – Oct