Grace on the mountain

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• By Marin Gorrie
• 16 May 2012

This graceful bloom is a common, yet always welcome, sight on Table Mountain.

The arum lily (zantedeschia aethiopica) can be found in large groups, in wet areas and is able to cope with humidity and misty mountain plains at higher altitudes.

According to www.plantzafrica.com the arum lily’s leaves contain water stomata, which can release excess water. The process, guttation, stops waterlogging and is what allows the arum lily to grow in wetter areas.

The arum lily frog is very pale with bright orange feet and legs, and occasionally uses the lily’s white background as a camouflage against predators.

Illegal harvesting of the arum lily takes place in the Western Cape and while this is worrying for the city, it will not put the arum lily frog at risk of extinction, according to www.sanbi.org.

You can spot this beautiful species on one of our guided walks and learn more about the natural fauna and flora along Table Mountain. The daily walks depart from the meeting point outside the Top Station building at 10h00 and 12h00.