by Zoë Poulsen - Cape Town Botanist | May 26, 2014 | Botanic Gardens, Conservation, Endangered Species, Kirstenbosch, Research
This week Notes from a Cape Town Botanist is reporting from the Northern Hemisphere in order to bring you the lowdown on some of the world class and ground-breaking work to conserve the Cape flora going on in other parts of the world. Far away from the green and pleasant land of Sussex in the south-east of England, 7,000 miles away one of the world’s biggest biodiversity disasters is quietly unfolding down in South Africa’s Cape Floristic Region (CFR).
by Zoë Poulsen - Cape Town Botanist | May 15, 2014 | Cape Floristic Region, Forest, Fynbos, Garden Route, Hiking, Landscape History, Mountains, Travel
In early January of this year we decided to abandon the Mother City and take a long overdue holiday. What better than to hike the Tsitsikamma Trail, one of the classic trails of the Garden Route? This stunning six day 60 km hike begins in the small village of Nature’s Valley, wending its way from close to the lagoon mouth up through the spectacular afrotemperate forests typical of the region onto the plateau above before weaving its way through the peaks and forested valleys of the Tsitsikamma Mountains. Sounds idyllic. What could go wrong?
by Zoë Poulsen - Cape Town Botanist | May 1, 2014 | Cape Floristic Region, Ecology, Fire, Fynbos, Hiking, Mountains, Travel
One of the greatest joys of Capetonian life is the ease with which one can escape the intensity of the city into pristine mountain wilderness. Just an hour out of town over Sir Lowry’s Pass lies the stunning, rugged and achingly beautiful Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve. It is here we chose to spend the Easter weekend.
by Zoë Poulsen - Cape Town Botanist | Apr 28, 2014 | Ecology, Ethnobotany, Forest, Kirstenbosch, Plant Profiles
One of the highlights of any visit to Cape Town’s Kirstenbosch National Botanic Gardens in April are the carpets of Plectranthus flowers occupying every available shady corner at this time of year. Colours vary from white to pale pink to the deepest dark blues and purples with species of every height, form and variety being cultivated under the shadow of Table Mountain’s eastern buttresses and crags.
by Zoë Poulsen - Cape Town Botanist | Apr 9, 2014 | Cape Floristic Region, Ecology, Ethnobotany, Fynbos, Plant Profiles
Mention the word parasite and a number of things may spring into one’s mind: squiggling flesh-eating maggots, blood sucking fleas and ticks, giant nematodes and many other gruesome critters too numerous to mention. It is fascinating to note that there are thousands of parasites within the plant kingdom as well and one of South Africa’s most well-known and widespread examples, Hyobanche sanguinea is pink and furry and really rather beautiful.
