April hikes to Maiden Peak in Silvermine, Noordhoek Fire Lookout and Sirkelsvlei at Cape Point
by Diana Studer - gardening for biodiversity in Cape Town, South Africa Hiking among wildflowers in the mountains around Cape Town Fynbos ramble to Silvermine Maiden Peak. Backlit against the autumn sun, fire club rush Ficinia deusta . Erica ericoides white with burgundy dangles. On the bank of the lily pond pink Drosera capensis . Again backlit, weird daisy Seriphium cinereum . Pink and stripy Gladiolus brevifolius signals autumn. What is the red against the rocks; we stumbled across to see Disa ferruginea . Maiden Peak at Silvermine April flowers Short detour for me to greet Widdringtonia nodiflora (mountain cypress) off the path to the waterfall. Widdringtonia nodiflora in the centre Back to Silvermine for Noordhoek Fire Lookout and our target species on that ridge. Lovely lichens. Target is sticky (to deter nectar thieves) white bells Erica physodes . Floofy Phylica imberbis . Pink Oxalis polyphylla (many divided leaves) and this is penta
