Photo essay: What’s flowering in August?
Table Mountain is slowly but surely transforming into a kaleidoscope of colour as wild flowers, big and small, begin to bloom. Spring officially starts in September but we managed to track down specimens that have started flowering this month. Here are some gorgeous images to help you identify the beautiful purple blossoms.
Bush blue pea photo courtesy Ratabago
The bush blue pea (Psoralea aculeate) flowers from August to November and is “fairly common”, according to Common Wildflowers of Table Mountain by Hugh Clarke and Bruce Mackenzie (Struik). They can be spotted near water and the small, pea-type flowers are packed closely together for a vibrant, full-colour display.
Fountain bush photo courtesy SuperFantastic
The fountain bush (Psoralea pinnata) also belongs to the pea family and looks very similar to the bush blue pea pictured above. It flowers from August to February and grows up to 3 metres tall – one metre more than the bush blue pea.
Cape scabious photo courtesy Easterbilby
The Cape scabious (Scabiosa africana) is a “mauve, half-round, disc-shaped flower head consisting of tiny, densely packed flowers,” according to Common Wildflowers. It’s a tall, branched perennial flower that blooms from August to March.
Fleur-de-lys photo courtesy Peter Baker
The fleur-de-lys (Moraea tripetala) belongs to the iris family and has three petals that look unmistakably like propellers. This common bloom occurs “singly on an erect stalk” and flowers from August to January, says Common Wildflowers.
Comments