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CONSERVATION

Spring Flower Watch: Tulbagh

OCT 7, 2020 | Written by Zoë Chapman Poulsen. Photos by Rupert Koopman. 

 

 

Above: Geissorhiza tulbaghensis (Endangered). Photo: Rupert Koopman.

 

Known for its stunning heritage architecture and beautiful Cape mountain scenery, the small town of Tulbagh is a popular destination for visitors.

Located just a 90 minute drive from Cape Town, it makes a great weekend getaway known for its rural tranquillity and fascinating history, including the 1969 Tulbagh earthquake commemorated at the Tulbagh earthquake museum.

Less well-known but equally worth celebrating is Tulbagh’s extraordinary biodiversity, with an array of beautiful spring blooms from the many special species to be found in the local area.

The Tulbagh valley is home to more than 22 plant species endemic to the area and found nowhere else, as well as more than 60 plant species that are listed as being of conservation concern on the Red List of South African Plants.

 

Above: Sparaxis grandiflora subsp. grandiflora (Endangered). Photo: Rupert Koopman.

 

The Tulbagh Valley is surrounded by mountains on three sides with the valley lowlands surrounding the town home to three threatened vegetation types, namely Breede Shale Renosterveld (Endangered), Breede Alluvium Fynbos (Endangered) and Breede Shale Fynbos (Endangered). These lowland vegetation types have had substantial habitat loss due to transformation for agriculture.

However, the 2005 BP Tulbagh Renosterveld Project made considerable headway by adopting an area based systematic approach to lowland vegetation remnants. Fieldwork by CREW, local Botanical Society volunteers and other key partners documenting biodiversity to determine the status of these special renosterveld sites on privately owned land in the local area was collated into a report, which then assisted CapeNature Stewardship work in the area.

As a direct result of the CREW’s integrated approach of data collection and landowner engagement, stewardship negotiations were well received at key sites. Two such are CapeNature stewardship sites such as the Welbedacht Game and Nature Reserve and Grootvlei Nature Reserve, owned by farmer Attie Louw and family.

 

Above: Geissorhiza tulbaghensis (Endangered). Photo: Rupert Koopman.

 

An interesting phenomenon in the Tulbagh valley is that some species of geophytes are red/redder here than elsewhere in their range (Sparaxis grandiflora subsp. grandiflora being a good example, the other subspecies of grandiflora being cream/yellow/pale purple)

One of the most distinctive special plants from the area is Babiana villosa, easily recognised by its stunning deep red blooms. It is common in renosterveld fragments in the Tulbagh area, but Red Listed as Near Threatened due to habitat loss from transformation for agriculture.

Another highly attractive species from the Tulbagh area is Sparaxis grandiflora subsp. grandiflora with its deep plum red flowers. It can be seen in bloom from late August to early October on seasonally damp or waterlogged clay flats and slopes in shale renosterveld. This species is listed as Endangered on the Red List of South African Plants.

Another beautiful but threatened species from the lowland fynbos and renosterveld around Tulbagh is Geissorhiza tulbaghensis. It is one of the largest flowered members of the genus and is pollinated by bees which are attracted to the dark centre of the flower. It is listed as Endangered on the Red List of South African Plants.

 

Above: Moraea tulbaghensis (Endangered). Photo: Rupert Koopman.

 

One of the most well-known species from the Tulbagh area, cultivated for its beautiful blooms, is Moraea tulbaghensis. This species grows on stony clay flats in fynbos and renosterveld between Wellington and Tulbagh. It is Endangered on the Red List due to habitat transformation for agriculture.

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

Ebrahim, I. (2005) BP Tulbagh Renosterveld Project, Unpublished Project Report. www.conservationleadershipprogramme.org

Red List of South African Plants (SANBI): www.redlist.sanbi.org

 

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