September hikes to Olifantsbos and Kommetjie


 by Diana Studer

- gardening for biodiversity

 in Cape Town, South Africa

 

Hiking among wildflowers 

in the mountains 

around Cape Town 

 

It was March, just before our hard lockdown, when we last hiked at Cape Point. In September we drove down to Olifantsbos, hiked up the ridge, then along. Down the winding path to the Shipwreck Trail.

 

Yellow flowers at Olifantsbos in September
Yellow flowers at Olifantsbos in September

 

Yellow pincushion Leucospermum hypophyllocarpodendron trails along the ground. Othonna dentata toothed leaves, succulent among rocks, loose clusters of yellow daisies. Golden Serruria villosa. Cullumia setosa flower. To the sea mounds of Cullumia squarrosa beach daisy

 

Mostly purple and white flowers September at Olifantsbos
Mostly purple and white flowers September at Olifantsbos

 

Yellow and orange Manulea cheiranthus. Stripy Babiana ambigua. Double pointed Struthiola ciliata and single pointed Gnidia pinifolia crowns. Mimetes fimbriifolius dwarfing the boulder. Tiniest rosebuds Petalacte coronata. White Geissorhiza juncea. Muraltia satureioides

 

At Olifantsbos in September mostly red flowers
At Olifantsbos in September mostly red flowers

 

White cat's nails tucked in, and extended for Hyobanche sanguineus. Last of Audouinia capitata. Dimorphotheca nudicaulis buds between dusky pink and russet. Dark tipped Erica corifolia. Brick red and apricot Crassula fascicularis. Lachenalia luteola. Lemony Roepera spinosa. Euphorbia caput-medusae

 

Agama, Serruria and Moraea at Olifantsbos in September
Agama, Serruria and Moraea at Olifantsbos in September

 

Pair of blue-headed Agama fighting. We battled to find our target Serruria decumbens. Moraea neglecta with dotted stripes  

 

Winding path down to Shipwreck Trail
Winding path down to Shipwreck Trail

 

Winding slowly down to the sea and the Shipwreck Trail at the Cape of Storms.

 

Coastal fynbos with Maurocenia frangula
Coastal fynbos with Maurocenia frangula

 

I missed three hikes, one week rained off and two life happens. Back to Kirstenbosch, this time with my sister. In the Conservatory (built to protect plants from the very wettest corner of Cape Town) there is a Coastal Fynbos display. That is us on False Bay. For the first time I notice, that the tree in the corner is the Maurocenia frangula we've just planted in our tapestry hedge!

 

In July we hiked up Slangkop looking down to Kommetjie lighthouse. In September we wound slowly along the coast to catch the burst of spring flowers.

 

Ferraria crispa at Kommetjie in September
Ferraria crispa at Kommetjie in September

 

Starfish lily Ferraria crispa. Just a few perfect flowers, with buds lined up.

 

Spring flowers at Kommetjie in September in purple and white
Spring flowers at Kommetjie in September in purple and white

 

Lycium afrum purple trumpets and long thorns. White daisies and stormy clouds. Satyrium odorum orchid. Scarlet Gladiolus cunonius spoon flower. Blue sky again for Slangkop lighthouse. Tiny Moraea setifolia tucked among the grass blades on mown verge. Sheets of white daisies purple budded Dimorphotheca pluvialis. Lilac vygie Cleretum bellidiforme.

 

Yellow flowers at Kommetjie in September
Yellow flowers at Kommetjie in September

 

Prickly yellow daisy Cullumia squarrosa. Brass buttons Cotula coronopifolia. Cineraria geifolia (the leaves are distinctive year round). Alligator leather petals on Lyperia tristis. Male Leucadendron salignum flowers. Buttery yellow Moraea flava. Yellow vygie Jordaaniella dubius

 

True blue Romulea tabularis Kommetjie in September
True blue Romulea tabularis Kommetjie in September

 

Unusual to have true blue in Romulea. This is Romulea tabularis (= from Table Mountain)

 

Our hikes are listed on my page.

 

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Pictures by Diana Studer

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Comments

  1. Lovely blooms (and foliage) and as always so varied. If I could find such variety wandering my surrounding area perhaps I'd be less obsessed about planting every pretty thing I see.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Picked a bunch of Californian poppies yesterday, as I couldn't walk through the gate for poppies and nasturtiums!

      Delete
  2. Stunning pictures, as always, Diana. I particularly love your sunshiny yellow flowers. We all need a little more sunshine and cheer in our lives, and they hit the spot. P. x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bought a yellow rose - sunny and scented - I'm happier.

      Delete
  3. Ohhh, beautiful lavenders and yellows! And that starfish lily is really special--I've never seen that one before, in a picture or elsewhere. Thanks for sharing your bounty!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We knew the lilies were there, but had to hunt for two that were worth
      a photo.

      Delete
  4. What a wonderful variety of flowers you have in the Cape region, dear Diana! I would have loved to hike with you, but we just went on a hiking (and relaxing) holiday in the Austrian mountains :-)
    Happy new week,
    Traude
    https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2020/10/salzkammergut-im-oktober-2020.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Salzkammergut is music in my mind!

      Delete
    2. Dear Diana,
      you asked me, if I have ever written a post about my blog name? I don't think so. But I'll tell you: as a redhead, I had a lot of nicknames in my youth. Some had to do with fire, some with goulash and some with rust. Since I love my garden and the roses in it, my first inspiration when looking for a blog name was Rusty Rose. And now that I'm getting older, I'm getting more and more rusty anyway ;-)
      You wrote me "I miss traveling on Swiss lake steamers." and "Salzkammergut is music in my mind!" Have you been to Austria and Switzerland? Erzähl mal! :-)
      Hugs Traude
      https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2020/10/ausflug-nach-bad-ischl-und-besuch-der.html

      Delete
    3. Dear Diana,
      thanks for your answer and the links to the two posts! Nice story. Is "Ungardener" your husband's nickname - because of "no relation to the garden"? I was confused at first, because "Ungar" is the German word for Hungarian. (May be you know this, it seems that you speak German ;-) ) And I asked myself which Hungarian you are talking about ;-)) I would like to go to Switzerland in summer too - so far I only know the country from skiing. But Switzerland in green and blooming is also beautiful.
      Alles Liebe, Traude

      Delete
    4. He does the hard landscaping, pond, paths, concrete work. UNgardening is the not plants. Without the UNgardening the garden doesn't have the same sparkle.

      Delete
  5. All strange unfamiliar flowers. Beautiful and amazing.

    ReplyDelete