Arcotis ‘Sunset Radiance’
off with the sweetest little flowers!
Arctotis, Osteospemums and Gazanias in a bewildering range of colours started flowering in late winter
and will continue for a little while
longer, so if you saw some gaps in
your spring garden, you can use
these colourful plants to make sure
next spring is a winner. Remember
to check on how heat tolerant the
varieties you choose will be. Some
of the hybrids don’t seem to last
through the summer very well. Species types are generally more reliable. Try Osteospermum fruticosum
and Osteospermum jucundum as
well as the creeping forms of Gazania such as Gazania rigens.
Although most people see vygies as
spring colour, different species
flower at different times of the
year, so while the early spring vygies are finished blooming, some
species are in full flower now while
others are in bud.
Coming soon!
December is the time for the stunning Erica verticillata to come into
flower. This plant, once believed to
Gazania splendens Pink
Scadoxus multiflora ssp kathrin
be extinct is available in a number
of shades of pink to red and grows
into an attractive shrub about 1.5m
tall. Remember to trim it frequently
and lightly to maintain a full
growth habit.
Nothing says ‘Christmas’ like the
colour red and Crassula perfoliata
and it’s equally crimson sister Crassula coccinea will be flowering
around Christmas time and into
January just when most of your
garden plants are struggling with
the heat.
Graceful Salvia chamelaeagnea
(Bloublomsalie) starts flowering in
November or December and forms
tall spikes of blue and white florets
through till March. Cut it back hard
after flowering for an even showier
display next time around.
A less well-known summer to autumn flowering species of shrub
called Ruttyruspolia (Rutty for
short) will soon begin flowering.
Although it won’t tolerate very
harsh frost, you can plant it in the
same kind of conditions where Bougainvilleas thrive and it has a similar
Erica verticillata African Phoenix
Crassula perfolia
growth habit without being spiny
or overly vigorous.
If you really want something exceptional for shade, you can’t beat Scadoxus multiflorus ssp kathriniae.
The glossy leaves are pretty, but it’s
the flowers carried in balls of
bloom as big as your head that will
amaze and delight even the most
jaded gardener. They work very well
with Clivias: the Clivias flower in
spring and are followed by the Scadoxus in summer. Add Nerines to
the mix for autumn flowers and
Haemanthus albiflos for winter and
you’ll have an ever-changing display of blooms and foliage textures.
In conclusion
There are so many beautiful indigenous plants out there that they
can’t possibly be discussed in one
article, but these are certainly some
of the highlights. Chat to a horticulturist at your local garden centre or
visit a nearby botanical garden to
get lots more fantastic ideas for
using indigenous plants in your
home garden.
Ruttyrusolia Phyllis van Heerden