Beneath the vast, star-strewn Karoo sky, where Moonlight Hill casts shadows over the town of Victoria West, you’ll find a hidden natural world that thrives. Succulents cling to rocky slopes, their water-storing leaves defying the arid heat, while leopard tortoises roam with resolve. Here, in the heart of this demanding landscape, biodiversity tells a story of resilience and beauty. And reminds us to protect this delicate ecosystem before its treasures fade.

Succulents: Masters of arid adaptation

The Victoria West region is renowned for its succulent plants, which demonstrate resilience in the face of the Karoo’s extreme climate. Among them, three Aloe species and Haworthiopsis tessellata stand out for their morphological diversity and horticultural appeal.

Aloe claviflora, known as cannon aloe or kraal aloe, forms dense clumps of greyish, sickle-shaped leaves, with its fiery red, cannon-barrel-like inflorescence blooming from August to September. Found along the mountain road in town beneath Moonlight Hill, its stemless structure and senescing inner rosettes create a kraal-like form that conserves water, making it a robust choice for rock gardens. Its ease of propagation by seed further enhances its value for horticulturalists.

Gonialoe variegata (previously called Aloe variegata), or partridge breast aloe, is a compact, stemless succulent with triangular, speckled leaves arranged in three ranks. Often concealed beneath shrubs, its vibrant red to pink flowers bloom from July to September, standing out in the arid landscape. Its large seed capsules and persistent dried flowers make it a low-maintenance favourite for rock gardens, embodying the Karoo’s ability to conceal beauty in austerity. Aloe broomii, the mountain aloe, graces northern slopes with dark green rosettes and a cobra-like inflorescence from late August to early October. Named after botanist Dr Robert Broom, its flowers, partially hidden by elongated bracts, attract sunbirds and butterflies, highlighting its ecological role. Its striking form adds drama to rocky landscapes.

Haworthiopsis tessellata (previously known as Haworthia venosa subsp. tessellata), a miniature succulent in the Asphodelaceae family, forms dark green rosettes with warty undersides and translucent, tessellated upper surfaces that optimise photosynthesis in low-light conditions. Thriving in clusters under shrubs or in rock crevices near the MTN tower and Kruithuis hillock, its hardiness and aesthetic patterns make it a global favourite among succulent collectors. These succulents, with water-storing leaves and symbiotic interactions, reflect the Karoo’s botanical diversity and cultural significance, their vernacular names like “kanniedood” (cannot die) echoing local traditions. Their global horticultural appeal underscores the universal value of Victoria West’s flora, making conservation of these living treasures crucial.

 Testudines: Guardians of the Karoo

The Victoria West region, alongside nearby Wagenaarskraal, Loxton, Pampoenpoort and Calvinia, is a sanctuary for eight testudine species and subspecies, each contributing to the Karoo’s ecological tapestry through unique adaptations. The leopard tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis), Africa’s largest terrestrial tortoise, has a carapace up to 750 mm and weighs over 20 kg, its leopard-like markings a hallmark of its iconic status. A herbivore, it consumes plants, fruits and even snail shells for calcium. The leopard tortoise navigates open plains with remarkable endurance, including migrations up to 60 km to return to home ranges when displaced. Its size and dietary needs are demanding and specific to this region, emphasising the need for habitat preservation.

The common African helmeted turtle (Pelomedusa subrufa), the region’s only aquatic turtle with a carapace up to 300 mm, inhabits stagnant pools. Its lateral head retraction and carnivorous diet, consumed underwater, coupled with the ability to survive months underground during droughts, showcase its resilience. The southern tent tortoise (Psammobates tentorius tentorius) and Bushmanland tent tortoise (Psammobates tentorius verroxii), with carapaces around 130 mm, feature tent-shaped or flattened scutes with yellow to orange rays. The Bushmanland tent tortoise ingeniously channels water droplets from its carapace to its mouth, a vital adaptation for arid survival.

The greater padloper (Homopus femoralis), with a 150 mm flattened carapace, favours mountainous habitats, hibernating in winter and adhering to a specialised vegetarian diet. The smaller Karoo padloper (Chersobius boulengeri), at 98 mm, blends seamlessly into its surrounds, its presence tied to local folklore predicting inclement weather. The angulate tortoise (Chersina angulata), with an angular carapace, has recovered from historical pet trade exploitation, while the parrot-beaked padloper (Homopus areolatus), with its distinctive beak, is found from Nieuwoudtville to East London. Bar the helmeted turtle, all species are protected under CITES Appendix II to control and regulate trade, in order to safeguard their evolutionary ingenuity and ecological roles in the Karoo.

Bulbous plants: Colour and culture in the Karoo

Victoria West’s bulbous plants, spanning the Iridaceae, Amaryllidaceae and Hyacinthaceae families, add vibrant hues and cultural depth to the Karoo. The Karoo evening flower (Tritonia karooica), blooming in August and September with yellow-orange flowers veined in brown, emits a sweet evening fragrance, and serves as the emblem of the town’s golf and bowling club. Easily grown from seed, it thrives in rock gardens but requires careful water management to prevent bulb rot. Gladiolus permeabilis subsp. edulis, with cream-coloured flowers accented by purple and yellow, historically served as a food source for indigenous peoples, its elegant form enhancing its horticultural appeal. 

Freesia andersoniae, the “bergaandblommetjie”, fills the air with a sweet scent from August to October. It has white to cream flowers streaked with yellow and purple, which has influenced global horticulture, though hybrids often lack its fragrance, underscoring the need to conserve native forms. The toxic Moraea polystachya, or blue tulip, blooms violet-blue from March to August, its sequential blooming sustaining its vibrancy.

Babiana hypogaea, known as “bobbejaanuintjie”, with deep blue to purple flowers, is favoured by baboons and porcupines, its deep bulbs ideal for horticulture. Boophone disticha, the poison bulb, with pink umbels and medicinal uses among San, Khoikhoi and Xhosa communities, requires cautious handling due to livestock losses. 

Brunsvigia radulosa, the candelabra flower, blooms deep pink-red in February and March, its toxic seeds wind-dispersed. Strumaria gemmata and Gethyllis villosa add delicate white flowers and medicinal value, though overharvesting threatens the latter. Described in 2013, Lachenalia canaliculata, known as the groovy lachenalia from Moonlight Hill, underscores the Karoo’s horticultural significance, with its genus contributing to global hybrid exports. Massonia depressa (hedgehog lily) and Massonia pustulata, pollinated nocturnally by rodents, and Lachenalia ensifolia and Albuca spiralis (corkscrew albuca), with waxy and spiral-leaved charm, add to the region’s botanical richness, and therefore the need to protect them for their aesthetic and cultural contributions.

Tuberous crops: Resilience and heritage 

Three tuberous crops, collectively known as kambros, embody the ecological and cultural resilience of Victoria West: Fockea sinuata (vlakkambro), Pachypodium succulentum (bobbejaan-, ystervark-, or bergkambro) and Pterodiscus speciosus (sandkambro). These species store water in thickened tubers, enabling survival during droughts, and have been used by indigenous communities for food, beverages and medicine. F. sinuata conceals a potato-like tuber up to 25 cm wide, its sap quenching thirst and its tuber cooked like a potato or processed into jam. Pachypodium succulentum, with thorny twigs and pink flowers, anchors rocky slopes with a massive tuber, historically used for food and fermentation. Pterodiscus speciosus, thriving in sandy soils, ferments brews with its crushed roots, its tuber dormant in winter. These kambros, with their drought-resistant adaptations and cultural legacy, highlight the need for conservation to preserve this heritage.

Field plants: Ecological and cultural pillars

Victoria West’s field plants, from Asteraceae to Fabaceae, demonstrate adaptability and multifaceted roles. The yellow pomegranate (Rhigozum obovatum) transforms post-rain with golden flowers, offering grazing and seed-dispersing pods. The black storm (Cadaba aphylla) with red flowers attracts pollinators and serves as a purgative. 

Lessertia frutescens (cancer bush) and Roepera lichtensteiniana (“spekbos”) provide grazing, while Viscum capense (mistletoe) and Cotyledon orbiculata (pig’s ear) offer medicinal uses. These plants, with water storage and symbiotic relationships, stabilise the ecosystem and enrich cultural practices.

Wildlife: Balancing the ecosystem

The region’s fauna, from the destructive Karoo caterpillar (Loxostege frustalis) to the nocturnal scorpion (Opistophthalmus karrooensis) and adaptable Karoo toad (Vandijkophrynus gariepensis), reflects ecological complexity. These species, alongside moths, frogs and the rock monitor (Varanus albigularis), contribute to the Karoo’s balance, their adaptations highlighting the need for conservation to maintain biodiversity.

Mesembs and flowers: Adding to the diversity

Mesembs like Drosanthemum archeri and Pleiospilos compactus (“volstruistoon”), with vibrant blooms and cultural uses, enhance the Karoo’s aesthetic. Flowers like Pelargonium abrotanifolium and Monsonia camdeboensis (Camdeboo bushcandle), alongside lichens, contribute to ecological stability and cultural heritage.

 Protecting this arid treasure

The Victoria West region’s biodiversity, from succulents to testudines, bulbous plants to wildlife, is a testament to the Karoo’s ecological and cultural richness. But they are also a reminder of the urgent need for sustainable conservation to preserve this unique landscape, inviting further exploration and stewardship of this arid treasure.

Fanie Avenant has been a BOT SOC member since his school days. During the late 1990s, while based in Pretoria, he was a founding member of the Pretoria Branch of the Botanical Society. In 2002, he moved to the Karoo, following a 30-year banking career. In Victoria West, he discovered a Lachenalia species, later identified by Graham Duncan as L. canaliculata. He also encountered an unknown Massonia, which was described in 2013 as M. mimetica after being found in the Kamiesberg district and near Loxton. Fanie and his wife Dorein lived in Victoria West for 10 years before moving to Sedgefield on the coast.

Casper Avenant, Fanie’s son, earned his PhD in marine ecology in Australia, focusing on sea turtle egg and hatchling predation. As a child, he spent numerous winters and summers on his uncle’s sheep farm in Victoria West, fostering a deep appreciation for the region’s natural beauty and its people.