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Spring Flower Watch: Tienie Versfeld Nature Reserve

SEP 17, 2020  |  Written and photographed by Zoë Chapman Poulsen. 

Above: During peak flowering season at Tienie Versfeld visitors can enjoy a plethora of different species in bloom.

As the Cape spring progresses, the spectacular displays of spring blooms to be seen move gradually from north to south. This week on the BotSoc spring flower watch we will be taking you to visit Tienie Versfeld Nature Reserve, located on the R315 just outside the beautiful Swartland town of Darling.

Above: Visitors enjoy Tienie Versfeld Nature Reserve at the peak of the spring flower season during the weekend of the 2018 Darling Wildflower Show.

This fascinating reserve has an extensive network of paths to explore, leading visitors into its 22 ha of Swartland Granite Renosterveld and associated seasonal wetlands. The site is home to a spectacular array of different bulb species with a flowering season peaking during August and September.

Tienie Versfeld Nature Reserve forms part of a farm that was donated to the Botanical Society of South Africa by Marthinus Versfeld, known in the Darling area as ‘Oom Tienie’. Marthinus’s sister Muriel was one of the founding members of the Darling Wildflower Association. The reserve is managed by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI).

Above: Red form of Drosera cistiflora in bloom.

Due to extensive transformation for agriculture of renosterveld vegetation elsewhere in the Swartland, many of these species are of conservation concern, making this and other small renosterveld fragments vital for their survival.

The spectacular red blooms of Drosera cistiflora are hard to miss. This species is also known as the ‘snotrosie’ or ‘poppy-flowered sundew. Like other members of the genus, Drosera cistiflora has leaves with stalked tentacles that are sticky, capturing and consuming a variety of small insects. The red flowered form is endemic to Swartland Renosterveld from the Malmesbury and Darling areas.

Above: Geissorhiza radians (Wine Cups).

Geissorhiza radians is perhaps one of the most famous members of the genus and seeing them blooming en masse is one of the highlights of any visit to renosterveld in the Darling area. They are also known as wine cups, growing in seasonal wetlands from Malmesbury to Klapmuts. Sadly population decline is ongoing as a result of alien plant invasion, livestock grazing and habitat transformation for agriculture.

Above: Monsonia speciosa (Butterfly Flower).

The beautiful pink and white blooms of Monsonia speciosa are commonly seen at Tienie Versfeld Nature Reserve. This relatively widespread species is distributed from Clanwilliam to Gordon’s Bay. This species blooms from September to October, with the flowers being pollinated by bees. Monsonia speciosa is threatened by habitat loss from urban development and habitat transformation for agriculture. It is therefore listed as Endangered on the Red List of South African Plants.

Look out for next week’s edition of Spring Flower Watch, where we will be continuing our virtual botanical tour to some of the Cape’s special spring flower sites.

Further Reading

Manning, J. Goldblatt, P. (2007) West Coast: South African Wild Flower Guide 7, Darling Wildflower Society & Botanical Society of South Africa, Claremont, South Africa.