South African super bloom 2023

Hermannia coccocarpa

My favorite picture of the lot depicting a plant I collected seed of in 1994 atop the snow-dusted mountain behind (Han Tam Mountain). I introduced this to cultivation as "Hermannia stricta" where it was a bit of a hit for a while in England at least. What the picture doesn't show is the chilliness of the air (it was in the 30's Farenheit) and the Akkerdam preserve around us was chockablock full of treasures.....for another blog perhaps one day. 

Drosanthemum speciosum

 This was taken on the steep hill above the town of McGregor (seen in the distance) in the Robertson karoo--a fantastic region that has a number of precious nature reserves protecting the fast disappearing renosterveld vegetation (an endangered biome).

Drosanthemum sp. ign.

A pure white drosanthemum carpeting acres in the Tankwa Karoo.

Drosanthemum sp. on the Knersvlakte near Van Rhynsdorp

Drosanthemum hispidum on the Sandveldt

Same shot without people--if you prefer!

Dimorphotheca cuneata on the Roggeveld

Note that it's covering the hills in the distance as well! 

Didelta carnosa in a sea of Drosanthemom on the Sandveldt

A jumble of goodies in a nature preserve near Calitzdorp

Didelta carnosa, Lampranthus sp. etc. etc. near Barryvale

Shrub steppe on the slopes of the Bokkeveld

Aloe myriostigma and friends near Laingsburg in the karoo

A tiny Senecio on Ouberg pass

Ruschia spinosa on the Tankwa karoo

Cineraria geifolia at Betty's Bay

Typical mashup of gems--this one photographed on Ouberg pass

Not only flowers delighted: the masses of Euphorbia schoenlandii at Strandfontein were fantastic!

It rtakes a bit of experimentation--but if you hit the right keys you can see a short movie of more flower displays...in this case masses of Drosanthemum hispidum at Poortjieskloofdam.

A giant lavender Ruschia sp. on the Sandveld

Bulbinella nutans in the marshy areas near Nieuwoudtville; almost as wonderful as the masses of a similar species growing much drier at Sutherland a day later which I posted on Facebook.

South Africa is off the charts for beauty. Biodiversity. You name it!