Indigenous plants in the far western area along Links Drive are thriving due to the continual work done by Ivy Garden Services to remove alien invasive plants.
Here are a few examples of indigenous trees and shrubs that are now flowering in this area.
Nuxia floribunda – (forest elder)
A small to medium-sized very attractive tree. It usually has a single trunk and branches fairly low down into a dense, rounded canopy. It flowers profusely in winter producing much-branched white and fragrant flower sprays.
Polygala fruticosa – (butterfly bush)
This is a neat, rounded evergreen shrub with young leaves that are tinged with purple, the shade echoed by the deep purple, winged flowers. These flowers are very striking and even though they resemble those of the pea family, they are very different: the lower keel-like petal has a brush-like tuft on it. The other major difference is that the Polygalas do not bear leguminous fruit but their seeds are enclosed in papery, flattened capsules which remain on the bush for some time during and after flowering.
Tarchonanthus littoralis – (Camphor bush)
The Camphor bush may form a dense bushy shrub or a small tree, often with a contorted trunk. The leathery grey-green foliage has an aromatic camphor-like smell. Terminal sprays of small creamy flowers are followed by tiny fruits covered in what looks like cottonwool.
Grewia occidentalis – (Cross berry)
A much branched, evergreen shrub or semi climber that grows in protected positions among other species of trees. An excellent example of this can be seen at the west end of the Creek. The small conspicuous star-shaped flowers grow in clusters of 1–3 among the leaves. The flowers are followed by distinctive four-lobed fruits (hence the common name cross-berry).
Improving our gardens during lockdown
We are spending more time in our gardens than ever before. A wonderful way of passing the time is to visit our website to identify alien invasive plants that might be in your own gardens. This section of the site has easy to identify photos of each plant and explanations of why they are problematic and should be removed.
https://www.steenboknaturereserve.org.za/alien-invasive-species/