The Fynbos Blog

There is a lot to share so today’s blog is all flowers and less about the run.

Up until now I’ve been going by the flowering dates shown in my reference book but I’m now not so sure.  I know from the records I’ve kept over the years that the different weather can mean flowering even in the garden here can vary by a month or six weeks from year to year, so why not the fynbos.

Stachys aethiopica, for instance, is supposed to flower in August and September, in the early spring.  But we saw one in May and there are small groups of them in different areas at the moment.  They are unmistakeable with their flower reminiscent of a pelargonium and distinctive mint-like leaves.  Indeed they are a member of lamiaceae, the mint family

The red gladiolus has cropped up in a few places.  There was one by the road when I left in early May that was easily photographed.  The latest two are high on the bank above the drive, but worth sharing even if the photo isn’t great.  The nearest possibility is gladiolus priorii, though in that case the flowers should be dull red and these are a vibrant scarlet.  It should also have a distinctive and easily visible yellow throat and I can see no evidence of that in our flower. I will look again as the size, shape and flowering season fit.  I need to look a little closer if one appears in a more accessible area.  If not, we’ll have to wait until next year to be sure.

The dogs and I had a wonderful run today and we visited the weir to see how much water is flowing.  This is always a lovely place; the whitish trunks of the Ilex Mitis or Cape Holly, are magnificent and the permanent water flow makes it a favourite of the dogs.

While I’ve been away the magnificent protea trees have come into flower.  They are tall and have spikey white flowers and silver leaves.  I believe they are Protea nitida.

Near them stands this delicate pink protea.  It is probably a nerifolia, though the flowers are barely bearded and a paler pink than most of the nerifolio on this farm.

Flowers found in the forest that abutts the farm are included in our blogs as they are on our regular running route.  We’ve seen Ursinia paelacea before and there is lots of it along the forest roads.

 

As we ran into the forest the path is lined with Leucadendron salignum.  There are hundreds of these all over the farm.  At this time of year they glow in the dark, another plant that seems to absorb the sunlight and render it back to us on the darker days.  Today was bright and they gleam in the early winter sun.