Cooper’s Aloe: Afrikaans is Grasalwyn and in Zulu, Putumane
Aloe cooperii is a very hardy, stemless Aloe with long, arching, narrow yellowish-green leaves arranged in a fan shape. The smooth leaves of the Cooper’s Aloe are dotted with white on the outside (especially at the bottom of the leaves), and the edges have small white teeth. These graceful leaves distinguish this Aloe and make it easily recognisable. The leaves spring from one point in the ground, overlapping slightly at the base, placing one inside the other. Will grow up to plus-minus one metre.
Attractive enough for a vase?
Flower stalks appear from December to March. They grow to about the same height or slightly taller than the leaves, springing from the centre of the leaves. The Cooper’s Aloe has a large, loosely arranged flower spike that bears clear, peach to orange flowers with beautiful green tips. Two to three flower stalks grow up from each leaf cluster. The flowers are attractive flowers for your vase. The flowers are nectar-rich and attract nectar-feeding birds and insects such as Sunbirds, bees and butterflies to the garden.
The plant with multi-purposes
Both the flowers and leaves can be cooked and eaten and have a significant cultural and economic value to the Zulu people.
Cooper’s Aloe is evergreen and is hardy to frost and drought. Plant in full sun to semi-shade, compost-enriched, well-drained soil. Surprisingly, this Aloe will tolerate marshy ground – it occurs naturally throughout Kwazulu-Natal, Swaziland and into Mpumalanga. This plant offers year-round textural interest, a beautiful choice for grassland landscaping, mass planting or within a mixed border. They are great plants for small or large garden use—also, a practical and pretty container plant.
Cooper’s Aloe is a versatile plant and will add a touch of drama to any garden.
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Renosterveld is an umbrella term that describes one of the major plant communities of the Cape Floristic Region located in the Western Cape province. It is also one of the most threatened habitats because little is left.
WHAT IS RENOSTERVELD
It is part of the Fynbos biome, but it is very different from fynbos. The main difference is that these plants generally lack the three distinct fynbos elements like the Protea, Erica and Restio, and can survive relatively frequent fires. It occurs on fertile soils formed by the weathering of granite and shale and where rainfall is moderate. Nobody is sure how the vegetation got its name, but it was believed to be named after the Black Rhinoceros that lived in this habitat. The only animal that ate the unpleasant tasting bush, Elytropappus Rhinocerotis or Renosterbos, a common shrub species in Renosterveld.
RENOSTERVELD PLANTS
These plants are famous for its spectacular, rare and endemic geophytes (bulbs) that flowers in spring and summer. This includes plants like the Amarylla belladonna (March Lily), orchids like Satyrium (trewwas), Disa bracteata, Moraea (tulpe), Geissorhiza (kelkiewyn), Gladiolus spp (kalkoentjie), and Watsonias, to name a few. Grasses are also typical renosterveld, with the C3 grasses that require a cool and wet environment. The C4 grasses require a tropical and dry climate. Cyperus spp, Eragrostis curvula, Eragrostis capensis, Aristida junciformis, Themeda triandra being the most well-known grasses. Shrubs and small trees include the Renosterbos, Stoebe plumosa, Eriocephalis africanus, Oftia africana, Anisodontea scabrosa, Olea africana, Searsia lucida and Selago canescens, to name just a few of the stunning plants. Succulents also occur in Renosterveld, showing how diverse and adapted these plants are. For example, Euphorbia mauritanica along the West Coast is stunning during spring when yellow flowers are all over the roadsides. Crassula muscosa, Crassula nudicaulis, Crassula perforata and Crassula rupestris are a few succulents that grows happy in renosterveld areas.
VEGETATION AND ANIMALS
Koi and San used renosterveld plants for food, medicine and grazing. In addition, many of these trees and shrubs produce berries that attract fruit-eating birds. They also attract other animals like baboons and the critically endangered geometric tortoise. During spring, the flowers of various bulbs attract bees and varied beetles.
THREATS
Because of the high fertility of the soil, most of the areas have been ploughed and converted to agriculture. However, the presence of abundant grasses is excellent for animal food, and therefore there is overgrazing and mismanagement of the veld, killing off some of the renosterveld plants. Another serious threat is alien plants, which infest large undisturbed mountains and flats.
CONSERVING THE RENOSTERVELD
Today all types of Renosterveld are considered Critically Endangered or irreplaceable. With most on private farmland, it is up to the farm owners to help conserve this beautiful South African vegetation. With only 2% of Renosterveld vegetation types now formally preserved, a lot still needs to be done as some of the most threatened vegetation types occur in Renosterveld. The Swartland Renosterveld has the Tienie Versfeld Nature reserve donated by the Versfeld family. The Haarwegkloof farm and some neighbouring farms started a reserve in the Overberg. Many more farmers are also conserving parts of their farms with this vegetation. However, there is still a monumental amount of work to preserve this critically endangered vegetation.
Haarwegskloof Renosterveld Reserve
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Renosterveld is a little known and critically endangered vegetation type. There is only 5% remaining, with many plants on the verge of extinction. Unlike fynbos, Renosterveld needs fertile soils which occur on flat plains, which are also ideally suited for farming and urban development. As a result, only a few fragmented pockets remain, typically rocky outcrops or wetlands commercially unavailable.
The ugly sister of fynbos
One can be forgiven for overlooking this vegetation type as it can look quite dull and scrubby from the outside. It is devoid of the showy proteas and ericas occurring in fynbos, and for this reason, has been nicknamed ‘the ugly sister of fynbos’. But, of course, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Renosterveld is so incredibly rich and diverse, as seen in the first and only field guide recently published by Dr Odette Curtis: ‘Renosterveld of The Overberg’. It is known for its bounty of bulbs that burst into life in spring.
Joostenberg is an ancient farming area and has been ploughed for over 250 years. Unfortunately, this means we have no pristine regions left. Still, in line with our organic winemaking philosophy, we focus on reintroducing and restoring the natural vegetation.
Remove the grass and replace it with Rynosterveld
The returning soldiers from the war had been exposed to the green rolling hills of Europe and aspired to the ‘English Country Garden Look’. As a result, we inherited a large lawn area that is not water-wise and requires maintenance. In the gardens, we are slowly taking up this grass and replacing it with endemic Renosterveld. We fall in the Swartland shale and granite Renosterveld area, and just as the terroir determines the wines, it also supports a particular kind of vegetation.
To create a species list and with the help of the nature app ‘iNaturalist’, we are currently identifying and mapping plants on nearby reference sites within a 10km radius of the farm. This requires research and time in the field, and we have to date found a few rare, red-listed species. In addition, replantings are challenging as these are not the kinds of plants you generally buy at nurseries. To this end, we are collecting seeds and taking cuttings for propagation.
It is also important not to strip away everything that has gone before as it is part of the layers of history and part of our story. The heritage roses, for example, represent and remind us of the previous generation.
Time makes room for what is needed
Time influences what we do and how we see things. What our needs are, determine our priorities. When the first farmers settled on the farm and planted trees in the wetland, they desperately needed wood and thought of survival, not conservation. Clearing the alien poplars currently soaking up and choking the natural wetland is an ongoing project. Joostenberg lies on the urban edge, which means we are always threatened by encroaching development. Getting neighbours educated and involved is important and challenging as one cannot work in an isolated capsule. The ultimate aim is to join the fragmented pieces with ‘corridors’ to sustain insects and birdlife. These nature strips are very beneficial to farmers, as the natural balance is restored, which helps control diseases and makes farming more sustainable.
Every little bit we do is better than doing nothing
As custodians of Joostenberg, we have many challenges. As a private landowner, assistance and information are difficult to find and can sometimes be overwhelming when one is also trying to farm and make a living. However, every little bit we do is better than doing nothing. We aim to try and protect what is left, restore what we can and hopefully hand the land over to the next generation in better condition than we inherited it.
Go home, open your eyes, scour the verges of the road, edges of parks and golf courses; you may be surprised what you will find; a kalkoentjie, a snotblom, a moederkappie or a pop rosie. The wonders of nature are on your doorstep.
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Growing up on a farm with names like “plakkie”, “bokhorinkies”, doll’s rose, “kalkoentjie” and “koekemakranka”, tickled my love and interest in these endemic plants. These wildflowers are unique and diverse and grow in areas with wet winters and hot, dry summers. The Western Cape is famous for its beautiful wildflowers, occurring from Vanrhynsdorp all along the coast of the Cape Peninsula and eastwards to Port Elizabeth. They are characterised by an enormous diversity of species from plant families like Rutaceae (buchu), Proteaceae (Proteas), Asteraceae (Felicias), and Iridaceae (Gladiolus).
These plant families fall within the Fynbos Biome of the Cape Floristic Region, and is the richest plant region on earth. The Fynbos Biome can be broken down into four categories.
Fynbos
Renosterveld
Strandveld
Succulent Karoo
Fynbos
Fynbos
Fynbos occurs typically in the mountains and grows in nutrient-poor and sandy soil. Fynbos prefers acidic soil. Proteas, Ericas, Restios are part of the proper Cape fynbos plant growth. Fynbos is normally hard leafed, dense growth and with trees virtually absent.
Fire is a critical part of the plant’s life cycle. It rejuvenates old and overgrown vegetation, and some plant species only grow and flower after a fire. In addition, the smoke during a fire is a driver of fynbos seed germination.
Table Mountain is an excellent example of lush fynbos growth.
Renosterveld
Renosterveld
The name Renosterveld is derived from “renoster” referring to the Black renoster historically in the Western Cape. Shrubs dominate Renosterveld from the Asteraceae (daisy) family and the lovely geophytic (bulbs) plant species and beautiful annuals. It occurs on relatively fertile soil, and Restios, Proteas and Ericas are mainly absent.
Like with fynbos, fire is also an essential part of Renosterveld and its conservation.
Overberg and Darling are known for their Renosterveld reserves.
Strandveld
Strandveld
The sandy soil that is nutrient-rich all along the drier west coast and wetter south coast is known as Strandveld. Plant growth has many succulent elements on the west coast and forest plant growth on the south coast. Proteas are absent.
Velddrif at the west coast is an excellent example of Strandveld.
Succulent Karoo
Succulent Karoo
Succulent karoo occupies low-lying land, mainly from Namaqualand to southern Namibia, covering about 7% of South Africa. The Winters have deficient rainfall and extreme summer heat. As a result, fog near the coast is common, and some plant species rely on it for survival. Soil is sandy and poor.
Low growing succulents like Crassula, Cotyledon, Euphorbia and Drosanthemum, with a wide variety of annuals, are common in the succulent karoo. These annuals are one of the reasons why Namaqualand is renowned for its spring wildflower displays.
South Africa is famous for the beauty of its native flowers, but many of these plants are declining or threatened. The general public needs to realise how necessary it is to preserve our wildflowers in their natural surroundings. The Cape Floristic Region is proudly South African and is recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for its rich and diverse flora.
The gardener who displays South African plants in his garden can pride himself on preserving his countries beauties for all to see.
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Not many people know that the beautiful fields of purple/pink flowers along our roadsides, in our gardens and on cultivated land is an invasive weed. Because of its beautiful flowers, they think it is harmless and beautiful. But it is not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Echium plantagineum, commonly known as Patterson’s curse, is a deep-rooted biennial native to Europe, Northern Africa and Asia. It was initially introduced to South Africa as an ornamental plant, and it fell in love with our Mediterranean climate. This long flowering biennial likes dry, sunny sites with poor soil.
The plant starts as a flat rosette of leaves and will grow up to 1 metre tall. From October to April, purple, lavender, pink and even white flowers appear. It produces a terrifying amount of seed, and as soon as the winter rain starts, the seeds begin to germinate. Patterson’s curse has become naturalised and is capable of reproducing and spreading without the assistance of people. The seeds are primarily distributed by wind, and most seeds germinate in the first year, but the seed can survive for as long as five years.
This rapid spread of the weed in areas home to horses, sheep and cattle is a big problem for the owners of these animals. Patterson’s curse produces purrolizidine alkaloides, as a defence mechanism against insect herbivores (moths, weevils, gall wasps, etc.). When eaten by animals in large quantities, it can causes death due to liver damage. Because the alkaloids can be found in the nectar of the plants, the honey should be blended with other kinds of honey to dilute the toxins. They also poison the soil with the alkaloid preventing further growth by other plants except themselves.
The leaves and stems are covered with coarse, white hairs that can irritate the skin of humans and animals.
Echium plantagineum
Controlling Patterson’s curse:
According to Invasive Species of South Africa, Patterson’s curse is listed as a category one invader plant. Furthermore, according to the Conservation of Agriculture Resource Act of 1983, plants must be removed and destroyed immediately, and trading of the plant is prohibited.
Controlling the plant is very difficult as it flowers and seeds from October to April. The most effective way to control the weed is a combination of mechanical and chemical methods. However, both methods are costly and not always possible to implement. Small infestations can be carried out by hand and is best to remove before it sets seed. Remember to wear gloves and long sleeves and use a weeder tool like a handheld fork.
Patterson’s curse is a wolf in sheep’s clothing because of its beautiful flowers. It must be controlled and eradicated where possible. Please help us spread awareness!!
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