Know, grow, protect and enjoy South Africa’s indigenous plants

KNOW

GROW

Protect

ENJOY

People for Plants

There has never been a more important time to support and protect the natural wonders that grow on South African soil. The Botanical Society of South Africa (NPO 003-394) is a member-driven organisation that offers citizen scientists, amateur nature enthusiasts, the general public, and environmental experts the opportunity to join hands and be a part of the solutions to biodiversity challenges across the country. Our mission is to win the hearts, minds and material support of individuals and organisations, wherever they may be, for the conservation, cultivation, study and wise use of the indigenous flora and vegetation of South Africa.

Know

Learn about South Africa’s diverse indigenous plant heritage, why their ecosystems matter so much, and how to conserve them in your own area. Read more.

Grow

Meet like-minded people who grow indigenous plants for enjoyment and conservation. Plant South African flora and watch these naturally water-wise plants create a safe haven for pollinators and wildlife at home. Read more.

Protect

Initiate, implement and maintain effective conservation efforts in rural and urban landscapes, wherever you are in South Africa, with the support of knowledgeable experts partnering with many other organisations to build our network. Read more.

Enjoy

From wild spaces and botanical gardens, to urban green corridors and your own backyard, our flora will ensure South Africa is a beautiful environment that brings people together with nature and each other. Read more.

Conserving our natural heritage, for all, forever

The Botanical Society was formed more than a century ago to help develop and support the country’s national botanical gardens. BotSoc’s mission has since grown to supporting plant conservation across South Africa through its branches and by working with key partners.

Nominate your BotSoc council now!

It gives us great pleasure to share with you more information about the 2021 Annual General Meeting of the Botanical Society (BotSoc). Our AGM has been scheduled for 3 July 2021.

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Our Conservation Work

BotSoc champions biodiversity conservation in South Africa to protect our extraordinary plant diversity and ecosystems.

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CREW

STEWARDSHIP

CYCADS

CPUT

Latest Conservation News

Mamelodi’s hill of dreams

One man had a dream in Tshwane’s Mamelodi – and helped preserve a natural gem overlooked by botanists

Get your garden buzzing!

Our guide to gardening for bees gives tips on growing beautiful indigenous plants that create a thriving ecosystem for pollinators. Insects are a vital

A rare habitat for rare plants: The Cape’s coastal dunes

Coastal dunes can be particularly harsh environments. Throughout the year, they are exposed to blistering sun and strong, salt-laden winds that also carry highly abrasive sand grains.

Conserving South Africa’s wetlands

Wetlands are ecosystems that contain quantities of water, usually providing a home for special vegetation communities and a wide variety of wildlife that depend on them for survival. Some wetlands flood throughout the year but others flood only during the wettest seasons.

Resolve to be a Red List plant protector

If you need a botanical New Year resolution, get to know the South African Red List – a global first. What makes a favourite website?

Summer’s wild orchid extravaganza

Summer is wild orchid season in the Cape so challenge yourself this festive season to look for the Cape’s signature orchid. You can choose the tough way or the gentle way.

KZN’S Red Desert blooms

That bare expanse of red sand gave the Red Desert Nature Reserve its name. Jointly owned by the Ray Nkonyeni Municipality and a local family, it was declared a nature reserve in 2015, facilitated by the Botanical Society of South Africa.

An Introduction to Biocontrols: Why are they important for biodiversity conservation?

Alien invasive plants are non-indigenous plant species that have been introduced (usually by humans) into a country and/or habitat outside the ecosystems in which they naturally occur.

Botanical Gardens

BotSoc is a proud partner and funder of the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), caretaker of our country’s 11 official National Botanical Gardens, as well as other privately run living libraries.

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FEATURED GARDEN
KIRSTENBOSCH

Free State

Kwa-Zulu Natal

DURBAN

KWELERA

Garden Route

LOWVELD

Hantam

Pretoria

Harold Porter

Thohoyandou

Karoo Desert

Walter Sisulu

Your autumn issue is now available

This EarthCare issue will take you back to ancestral dreams of plant places and forward to futuristic vaccinations of silver trees.

BotSoc members: Your print copy is in the post. And you can read the magazine online here (your password has been emailed to you).

MEMBERS: READ IT HERE

To enjoy access to Veld & Flora, our flagship quarterly magazine, become a BotSoc member. Here’s how.

Feel good about your Contribution to Conservation

DONATE

WHY JOIN?

Join hands with us

The Botanical Society of South Africa works to promote the conservation, cultivation, study and wise use of the indigenous flora of southern Africa for the benefit and sharing of all. Donating to BotSoc helps us to form new partnerships and mobilise resources to make worthy contributions, such as creating sustainable jobs and livelihood opportunities in South Africa’s conservation economy.

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People for Plants

There has never been a more important time to support and protect the natural wonders that grow all over South Africa. BotSoc SA (NPO 003-394) offers citizen scientists, amateur nature enthusiasts, the general public, and environmental experts the opportunity to join hands and be a part of the solutions to biodiversity challenges across the country. Together, we are a critical mass of people uniting through our love for protecting plants. Sign up as a member today and feel good about your contribution to conservation.

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MEMBER FEATURE

Interview with Elise Buitendag, author of ‘Genesis of a Garden’

Elise’s favourite part of Lowveld NBG is the walk down to the rocks overlooking the Nels River. When the garden was first founded, this area was still bush until the viewpoint we see today was carefully cleared, taking great care not to damage any valuable trees. Read more

Upcoming Events

Thursday, 27 May 2021

PLANT CONSERVATION WEBINAR

BRANCH COMMITTEES:
Environmental Impact Assessment Training

CITY NATURE CHALLENGE 2021.
4-9 May: Identifying what was found. More info here.

KIRSTENBOSCH PENINSULA WALK
9 May: 8am Silvermine. Contact: Dirk Muller 0827795855; Pat/Tony Rebelo 0822984564. Margaret Kahle 0844153428.

KIRSTENBOSCH BIRD WALK
11 May: 8am, led by Otto Schmidt.

KIRSTENBOSCH PLANT FAIR
22 May: online. More info here.

News from our Members

BotSoc Webinar: Save our Succulents

Poaching and the illegal trade of succulents is a major challenge to plants in South Africa.

City Nature Challenge 2021: Unleash your inner citizen scientist

First-hand account of this Gauteng CREW field trip

I got ready for my first ever CREW field trip, hoping that the rain would hold off long enough for us to find our target species: Melolobium subspicatum, from the pea family, and Habenaria kraenzliniana, from the orchid family.

BotSoc branch puts paradise on a wall

The bold and beautiful strelitzia is now celebrated in a glorious mural at the Durban Botanic Gardens, thanks to BotSoc’s KwaZulu-Natal Coastal Branch.

BotSoc Webinar: Citizen Science and iNaturalist

We delve into the history of local botanical citizen science and how those roots are directly connected to BotSoc and CREW. We also find out from active iNaturalist members why they find recording nature so rewarding.

BotSoc Webinar: An introduction to ecological restoration

We chat to plant ecologist Dr Pat Holmes about some principles behind ecosystem restoration and how we can play an active role in restoring South Africa’s many damaged ecosystems.

Enjoy sunny skies and happy times at SA’s botanical gardens

The Botanical Society of South Africa has a summer challenge for you: to create new sunny memories in South Africa’s 11 wonderful national botanical gardens.

How to grow great young indigenous gardeners

Encouraging children to enjoy gardening allows them to have fun outdoors while also learning about nature and biodiversity.