Kwazulu-Natal Coast and afromontane succulents

This small section adjacent to the Bushveld section represents the KwaZulu-Natal Coast and succulents from afrotemperate forest regions in South Africa. Succulent plants adapted to forest regions and rocky cliffs of the region have been introduced here. Aloe barberae is a large arborescent tree aloe. The small form from the Kosi Bay sand forest has been planted here. Other aloes planted here from KwaZulu-Natal include: A. greenii, A. pluridens and Aloe suffulta. These include the Peperomia blanda, bonsai mint (P. ernstii) and Crassula streyi.

Other noteworthy plants include the bigfoot (Gerrardanthus macrorhizus), a plant with a massive rounded tuberous root resembling a granite rock. Other forest succulents introduced include Senecio bryonifolius and S. macroglossus. They have attractive yellow to cream coloured flowers. Petopentia natalensis has a huge round tuber bearing climbing stems and opposite leaves that are coloured purplish on the lower surface. Gasteria croucheri is popular among the Zulu and Xhosa and is used mainly for traditional medicinal purposes. The plant is well camouflaged and difficult to detect in nature and it is believed that the of camouflage ability of the plant is transferred to the user.

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