| Botterblom (gazania krebsiana) - This sun-loving,
fast growing flower occurs in a variety of bright warm colours mainly in
the red, orange and yellow range. It is hardy and drought resistant, which
makes it a popular garden flower. The botterblom occurs naturally in the
Karoo, Namaqualand, KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State and the northern regions
of the country, as well as in Lesotho, Swaziland and Botswana.
Blue marguerite (felicia amelloides) - This delightful
indigenous flower, also known as the blue daisy or bush felicia, bears
sky-blue daisy-like flowers with prominent yellow centres. They are happy
in almost any setting and the name felicia is aptly derived from the Latin
word "felix" meaning "happy". They occur naturally and abundantly from
Namaqualand to Caledon in the Northern and Western
Karoo violet (aptosimum procumbens) - A densely tufted perennial
found mainly in dry areas, especially the Karoo and Namaqualand. The plant
is an excellent ground cover and because it is so well-adapted to dry conditions,
the deep blue flowers often adorn the bare veld during periods of drought.
Tree pelargonium (pelargonium cucullatum) - This attractive
indigenous pelargonium with its brightly coloured pinkish-purple flowers,
is well-suited to coastal gardens. They occur naturally along the south-western
Cape coast, from Gordon's Bay in the west to Gans Bay in the east, with
a few isolated populations on the Cape Peninsula
Black-eyed Suzy (or Susan) (thunbergia alata) - Described
as a "cheerful, happy-go-lucky indigenous climber", the black-eyed susy
with its small bright flowers and distinctive black "eye", is a very popular
garden flower. They occur naturally in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal,
Mpumalanga and Swaziland. |
