Moraea flaccida (Red Cape Tulip, Rooitulp) is widespread and locally abundant throughout the Western
Cape. Here it is seen flowering on an urban open
space in Kraaifontein
Africa has had a history of comparatively good governance when it
comes to biodiversity conservation.
We have a well-developed suite of
environmental legislation that ingrains both environmental protection and wise stewardship of our
natural resources. As a consequence, South Africa has thus far
incorporated 6.5% of its land surface and achieved 23.2% of its
coastline in formal protected areas.
Within the Western Cape alone,
roughly 20% of the total land surface now resides in formal protected areas. This substantially higher
than the national figure was seen
as a necessity because in the Western Cape we are conserving more
than just biodiversity, we are conserving invaluable ecological processes and catchment areas that
provide various goods and services
(the supply of clean, fresh, potable
A pale-pink form of Oxalis purpurea (Grand Duchess
Sorrel, Bobbejaansuring, Joemapitsuring) flowering on
an urban open space in Stellenbosch.
water; year-round groundwater
supply; and flood attenuation services by its wetland and river ecosystems) to the people of the region. However, despite our excellent biodiversity legislation, the
Western Cape is still losing species
at an unprecedented rate, estimated to be several hundred times that
of the natural rate of extinction.
Currently there are 60 threatened
ecosystems (22 critically endangered, 15 endangered, 23 vulnerable) in the Western Cape and it has
been estimated that a large percentage of the plants from these
ecosystems occur on road verges,
urban open spaces and in private
ownership.
During the late winter to spring
months we often spend long hours
in our vehicles and travel great distances to see the vast splendour of
Oxalis obtusa (Yellow-eyed Sorrel, Geeloogsuring) in
the foreground is widespread and locally abundant
throughout the Northern, Western and Eastern Cape.
Here it is seen flowing on a road verge in Bellville.
the west coast and Namaqualand
wildflowers. While the beauty of
these areas certainly is unsurpassed,
there are many green open spaces
within the city metropolis and the
neighbouring towns that present
themselves in similar splendour,
often bearing a greater diversity of
plant species, and all well within a
reasonable distance and time from
each other. While the larger majority of the wildflowers on such urban
open spaces are widespread and
classified as “Least Concern”, there
are a host of wildflowers on these
green spaces that are classified as
being threatened with extinction.
Examples of threatened wildflowers
Moraea aristata (White Peacock
Flower, Witpoublom) is one of six
peacock moraeas, all of which are
threatened with extinction. This
Due to different management practices, the grounds
of the Stikland Hospital have a far greater diversity of
spring wildflowers on its grounds compared to the adjacent municipal-managed grounds.