Fynbos species return to Liesbeek

On a crisp Saturday morning, 20 June, 17 volunteers gathered along the lower Liesbeek River in Observatory for another chapter in the quietly remarkable story of the Fynbos Snake.

- NAMHLA MONAKALI

Armed with trowels and a shared sense of purpose, they planted 80 plants from 10 indigenous fynbos species into a distinctive, sinuous garden opposite the Hartleyvale Sports Grounds, a site that not long ago was smothered in kikuyu grass and invasive weeds.

The volunteers came from the surrounding community, drawn in through Friends of the Liesbeek’s social-media posts and mailing list. For some it was a return visit, for others their first time getting their hands into Cape Town’s sandy soil on behalf of the river.

THE RIGHT PLANT IN THE RIGHT PLACE

The species chosen for the event were far from random. Among those going into the ground were Lobelia pinifolia, Hermannia pinnata, Otholobium decumbens, Struthiola dodecan-dra, and Phylica ericoides, most of them new additions to the garden, selected to build on and complement last year’s planting, some of which have now established beautifully and even begun to multiply.