Hiking Table Mountain Flowers
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Photo by @raynardsims
The world is divided into six floral kingdoms: the Antarctic, Australasian, Boreal, Neotropic, Palaeotropic and the Cape Floral Kingdom, also known as the Cape Floristic Region.
Table Mountain falls within the Cape Floristic Region and is known for its exceptional floral diversity. It is home to a unique yet endangered plant diversity known as fynbos. Of the approximately 9 000 species of fynbos within the Cape Floral Kingdom, around 1 500 grow on Table Mountain and many of these plants are endemic to the area.
Fynbos is an Afrikaans word describing the scrubby vegetation that grows in the Cape. It literally means “delicate bush”. It consists of four primary plant groups: the Proteas, large broad-leafed shrubs; the Ericas, low-growing shrubs; the Restios, thin reed-like plants; and the geophytes or the bulbs. Expect to see the amazing display of blooming wildflowers in spring as sixty percent of the mountain fynbos flowers in spring.
Table Mountain is more than just a mere backdrop to the beautiful city of Cape Town. It is also one of the richest floristic sites in the world. Hiking up Table Mountain gives you the opportunity to see and experience its vast biodiversity and beauty. The staggering variety of indigenous flora, with its remarkable diversity and endemism, makes Table Mountain an important conservation area.
