Flora and fauna of Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens – a simple sample ..

A gift to the nation of South Africa from Cecil Rhodes in 1895 – a completely unspoilt area of flowering plants, shrubs and trees on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain. What a treat – on this the damper side of the mountain - the property covering the eastern slopes from the bottom up to its highest point, Maclear’s Beacon.

These amazing slopes provide a range of habitat suited to a wide variety of plants. Kirstenbosch in 1913 was planned as a garden where the indigenous flora of Southern Africa would be collected, preserved, propagated and studied.

View roughly to the north from Kirstenbosch. The eastern faces of Table Mountain dominate the skyline. The rainfall on this side is much higher than on the other faces, hence the dense vegetation - see first picture

I can attest to this wonderful Garden, as when in Cape Town I have always visited and spent time enjoying the plants and herbal scents, the scenery of Table Mountain behind, with the views of Cape Town and its surrounds stretching out below – a magnificent setting.

Castle Rock, Cape Town from Kirstenbosch Gardens (with proteas in the foreground.

The wonderful collection made for the nation and as you can see the gardens are as beautiful today as they were 100 years ago. About 4,000 of the 18,000 species of plants of Southern Africa are cultivated in the garden, which covers 560 hectares. It is a garden for all seasons, but spring (September – November) is especially beautiful with its array of early flowers before the beating summer sun burns down.

Just a little more history – this wooded area (hence the bosch in the name) in 1660 was hedged off with wild almond and brambles to protect the perimeter of the Dutch colony, and was harvested for timber during the early days of Cape settlement. The ‘Kirsten’ part of the name is believed to be the surname of the manager of the land, JF Kirsten in the 1700s.

The fact it became a botanical garden was due to Henry Harold Pearson, a botanist from Cambridge University, who had been appointed in 1903 to the newly-created Chair of Botany at today’s University of Cape Town; he took a cart out from the sea-shore settlement to assess the area for its suitability – and thus it became the Kirstenbosch we know today.

LandsatImage over SRTM Elevation, showing the Cape Peninsula in the foreground.

Pearson in fact took on developing the gardens himself and lived there in difficult and reduced circumstances: the task confronting him was formidable .. the area was overgrown, populated by wild pigs, overrun with weeds and planted with orchards, left over from the early settlement. Money was tight and the budget was supplemented by the sale of firewood and acorns .. sounds like today?

He commenced work in the area of Kirstenbosch known as “The Dell”, planting cycads which are still there today. He died in 1916 from pneumonia and was buried in his beloved garden, and his epitaph is still there today and says: “If ye seek his monument, look around”.

Inflorescence of Protea Cynaroides (King Protea)

A befitting remembrance to a wonderful botanical garden, that has enthralled many visitors from around the world .. and no doubt might be garnering a few more enthusiastic supporters from the football tourists – do you think?

Or can I tempt you to enjoy a hike along one of the trails up and around Table Mountain - some of these lead of f the gardens, including Smuts’ Track, after the Prime Minister Jan Smuts who used this route regularly. On the slopes above the cultivated parts of the garden a contour path leads through forests to the south, or to the north taking the hiker past Rhodes Memorial and on to the slopes of Devil’s Peak and beyond. (see right)

Grevillea, rosmarinifolia

Fynbos, “fine bush” in Afrikaans, is the natural shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring in the small belt of the Western Cape of South Africa, mainly in the winter rainfall coastal and mountainous areas with a Mediterranean climate, which includes Table Mountain, and forms part of the enormously valuable Cape Floral Kingdom.

It is an incredibly rich area, of which over two thirds of the 9,000 fynbos species are endemic – this level of variety is comparable with tropical rainforests. Many different microclimates occur so the flora changes from west to east and varies with altitude up the hillsides away from the coast and according to the compass direction.

The wildlife includes a number of endemic bees, beetles, horseflies and ants, as well birds such as the Cape Sugarbird and Orange-breasted Sunbird. Many of these birds and insects are important and specific pollinators for the fynbos.

Male Cape Sugarbird

Traditional herbal remedies abound from the fynbos terrains, while our delving into our historical roots establish that the Greeks and Romans also followed similar traditions – which we continue today .. the aloe they used much as we do .. extensively as a herbal medicine, for both internal and external treatments; and now in our tea drinking of the rooibos or red bush tea, which contains high levels of antioxidants with low tannin levels, and is popular throughout the world.

Rooibos flowers

There are larger animals too, including the Cape antelopes of which the Klipspringer (right) is one – they are herbivores, eating rock plants – but the interesting thing is they never need to drink, since the succulents they subsist on provide them with enough water to survive. It is also known for its remarkable jumping ability and is able to leap to staggering heights of 25 feet, which is about 15 times its own height.

Just to round off with another jumper – the endemic Arum Frog. They have bright orange feet and can change their colour to camouflage themselves. Their natural watery habitat in this Mediterranean shrubby vegetation is under serious threat .. and a reminder to us all that we need to protect our flora and fauna.

Hyperolius horstockii – Arum frog

As you can see they tend to hide at the bottom of Arum lilies waiting to catch pollinating insects and are threatened as the lily flowers are picked to be sold. Arum lilies, native to South Africa, are now naturalised in Australia (and classified as a toxic weed and pest!), while in the States and the UK we have a number of cultivars used as ornamentals.

A wonderful rich and diverse part of the world – which can so easily be totally destroyed or parts lost forever – if we do not protect it, but which Kirstenbosch stands guardian over, and I hope the many visitors to South Africa at this time, take some time out to enjoy the scenery and take in and absorb the wonders of this Cape Floral Kingdom.

Dear Mr Postman – we seem to be in quiet times .. my mother enjoys the tennis if it is on and she is awake .. but as she still can’t and I have a feeling this will not come back & there is nothing more we can do to help, I will have to use my creative abilities to find new ways to at least give her something different to see and thus think about – as I cannot read or talk to her, nor can she read.

Hilary Melton-Butcher
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