Endemic Beds

At present these three small beds house young plants of Nivenia stokoei, Leucadendron comosum subsp. homaeophyllum and Mimetes hirtus, a spectacular rare and endangered member of the Proteaceae. Some of our other interesting, and often unusual, endemics will be added as soon as they are big enough to move from the nursery.

Retzia capensis, is of particular interest: it is the only member of the family Retziaceae, and considered by ecologists to be a pyrofossil, meaning that all existing plants have survived since prehistoric time purely by resprouting from rootstock after fires. Penaea species will find a place here too, the whole family being endemic to the South Western Cape.