MEMBERS

Spring Flower Watch: Hantam National Botanical Garden

Aug 15, 2020  |  Written and photographed by Zoë Chapman Poulsen.

The first of our weekly Spring Flower Watch series comes from Hantam National Botanical Garden (NBG) in Nieuwoudtville. Hantam NBG which is run by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) is one of South Africa’s newest NBGs and the only one located in the Northern Cape province. 

Above: Spring blooms in the small Namaqualand town of Nieuwoudtville.

Hantam NBG is 6 000 Ha in size and showcases examples of Nieuwoudtville Shale Renosterveld, Nieuwoudtville-Roggeveld Dolerite Renosterveld and Hantam Succulent Karoo. The veld here is recognised to be of international conservation importance and was used in the filming of Sir David Attenborough’s classic series ‘The Private Life of Plants’ in 1991.

Above: One of the nine different hiking trails that visitors can use to explore Hantam NBG.

The garden has nine different hiking trails that allow those of differing levels of fitness to explore as they please. BotSoc members enjoy free entrance to Hantam NBG and all of South Africa’s other NBGs.

Above: Babiana framesii in bloom on the dolerite koppies at Hantam NBG.

One of the highlights of any visit to Hantam NBG are the plethora of beautiful bulb species that can be found blooming in the garden during spring.

Above: Hesperantha rivulicola. Photo: Zoë Chapman Poulsen.

Impossible to miss are the intense orange spikes of Bulbinella latifolia var. doleritica, covered in breeding monkey beetles at this time of year. This Bokkeveld Escarpment endemic is known from just seven subpopulations due to habitat loss for agriculture and is Vulnerable on the Red List of South African Plants.

Above: Bulbinella latifolia var. doleritica. Photo: Zoë Chapman Poulsen.

Small but spectacular, Lapeirousia oreogena is easily recognised by its funky geometrically marked flowers. Growing on clay soils in renosterveld, this species is found from the Bokkeveld Escarpment to the Western Karoo and Calvinia. It is thought to be pollinated by long-tongued flies.

Above: Lapeirousia oreogena. Photo: Zoë Chapman Poulsen.

Another beauty that can be seen at Hantam is Sparaxis elegans, with different colour forms in white or salmon pink. It is endemic to the Nieuwoudtville area, growing on clay soils in renosterveld on the Bokkeveld Escarpment. In habitat it is locally common, but is threatened by habitat degradation and fragmentation, leaving it Near Threatened on the Red List.

Above: Sparaxis elegans. Photo: Zoë Chapman Poulsen.

Look out for next week’s edition of Spring Flower Watch, where we will be taking you along to visit the nearby Nieuwoudtville Wildflower Reserve.