- Botanica Green Living Festival(41 days)
South Africa
First planted in 1991, the sandy soil provides good drainage needed for Proteas and related plants. Many South African species will be very familiar to Garden visitors:
Cycads: These are ancient plants, and may be described as a link between ferns and flowering plants.
Bird of Paradise. Related to the banana, two species are featured in this section.
Natal Coral tree with its bright red pea flowers is a beautiful ornamental tree sometimes seen in north coast gardens.
Showy plants and bulbs include Freesias, red hot pokers, Gerberas, Clivias, and several members of the daisy family.
Of the succulents, the “pigface” (Lampranthus species) with its daisy-like spring flowers is probably the most well-recognised. There is also the Hottentot fig a prostrate succulent, which has a showy relative with bright pink flowers native to the north coast.
Trees and shrubs include the Cape Chestnut featuring large clusters of pink flowers in spring; members of the Bauhinia family (South African orchid bushes); and the Dombeyas (wedding bushes) displaying large white or pink flower clusters. The familiar African Tulip tree flowers for the majority of the year.