Red Desert

CREW (Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers) being small this Thursday, met at the Red Desert in Port Edward. Just outside the town lies this curious place, often called the smallest desert in the world. Only about 200 hectares in size, it is a striking patch of iron-rich, rust-red soil that glows against the surrounding green coastal vegetation. The surface is compacted and rocky, making it difficult for most plants to take root.

Tao in Red Desert.

Ctenium concinnum
POACEAE

Geologists believe the Red Desert is the remnant of ancient dunes, leached and hardened over thousands of years. Archaeologists have found Stone Age artefacts here, evidence that people once camped and hunted across this open land. Local legend also tells of overgrazing that may have scarred the soil. Whatever its origin, the desert is far from lifeless: each season it bursts with wildflowers, creating a living contrast to its barren name.

It was a windy day, and almost impossible to photograph flowers. Yet on entering, we were met by a sea of colour: Senecio bupleuroides, Afroaster hispidus, Helichrysum pallidum, Cyrtanthus brachysciphus, Aspidoglossum carinatum, Cyanotis speciosa, Berkheya umbellata, Berkheya insignis, Senecio variabilis, and Callilepis laureola.

Berkheya insignis
ASTERACEAE

Berkheya speciosa
ASTERACEAE
Seen from Tao's perspective.

Senecio variabilis
ASTERACEAE
South African endemic

Cyrtanthus brachyscyphus

AMARYLLIDACEAE

South African endemic

Dimorphotheca caulescens
ASTERACEAE

Afroaster hispida
ASTERACEAE

Callilepis laureola
ASTERACEAE

The hillside was filled with even more treasures—Kniphofia coddiana, Berkheya insignis, Hypoxis filiformis, Helichrysum griseum, and Dimorphotheca caulescens. We gazed at Graderia scabra and lingered around a gnarled Gymnosporia. Acalypha punctata dotted the grassland, its red bracts looking like strawberries scattered among the leaves.

Flowers!

Hypoxis acuminata
HYPOXIDACEAE

Hypoxis rigidula 
HYPOXIDACEAE

Uschi, Tao and Sarel botanising.

Acalypha punctata
EUPHORBIACEAE

Sarel reading up about Gymnosporea's in Richard Boon's tree book.

Gymnosporia sp.
CELASTRACEAE

Hypoxis filiformis 
HYPOXIDACEAE

Phylica natalensis
RHAMNACEAE
Vulnerable B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)
South African endemic

Graderia scabra
OROBANCHACEAE

Raphionacme galpinii 
APOCYNACEAE

Kniphofia coddiana – This striking red-hot poker is a rare Pondoland endemic, found only in this small corner of the South Coast. Its tall, flame-coloured spikes brighten grasslands in spring and summer. The genus Kniphofia honours Johann Kniphof, an 18th-century German botanist, while coddiana commemorates the South African botanist L.E. Codd. Sadly, its restricted distribution makes it vulnerable to habitat loss.

Kniphofia coddiana 
ASPHODELACEAE
Near Threatened B1ab(iii)
South African endemic

This outing was special for another reason. Gail had asked if she could bring her dog, Tao, along—her first botanical excursion. With Craig, Gail and Maggie both having recently lost their beloved dogs, Abby and Patch, the group understood the need for comfort and companionship. Tao was heartbroken, and wildflowers was just what her heart needed and she was as good as gold. At one stop, Gail gave her water and in the process lost the camera’s settings wheel. Despite much searching in the grass, it remained hidden, and we lunched under the shade of a Protea tree before botanising further.

Maggie and Dorothy meandered back while Gail, Sarel and Uschi traversed the hillside. It was here that Sarel spotted his very first orchid—Orthochilus milnei, a gem that could have been so easily overlooked. Dorothy soon found Eulophia parviflora, and along the slopes Gail discovered a green orchid resembling Acrolophia cochlearis. The grasslands themselves were alive with Gladiolus inandensis, Tritonia gladiolaris, and Ornithogalum graminifolium.

Dorothy and Tao.

Orthochilus foliosus 
ORCHIDACEAE
It smell's like an orchid mum.

Orthochilus milnei 
ORCHIDACEAE

Acrolophia cochlearis
Synonyms:  Eulophia cochlearis
ORCHIDACEAE
South African endemic
A green form

With trained eyes, we also picked out Tulbaghia ludwigiana and Dipcadi viride tucked into the grasses. But the walk brought a sobering reminder of the pressures our wild plants face—under a clump of Strelitzia we found two bags of dug out Hypoxis hemerocallidea bulbs, collected for the muti trade and left  drying in the sun. We had not seen this species in our wanderings during the day  and the sight of these massive poached bulbs was disheartening.  After our excursion Gail contacted Matt Williams, the owner of the land and he arrived swiftly and retrieved them before they could reach the muti-markets.

Dipcadi viride
HYACINTHACEAE

Ornithogalum graminifolium
HYACINTHACEAE

Hebenstretia comosa
SCROPHULARIACEAE

Tulbaghia ludwigiana
ALLIACEAE

Hypoxis hemerocallidea – Known as the African potato, this bulb is one of South Africa’s best-known medicinal plants. For generations, it has been harvested for traditional medicine, where its large underground corm is prepared as decoctions or infusions. It is widely used as a tonic for boosting the immune system, for treating urinary and prostate problems, and as a remedy for inflammation, hypertension, and even HIV-related opportunistic infections. The plant contains hypoxoside, a compound converted in the body into rooperol, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Its star-shaped yellow flowers may look delicate, but its underground stores have made it a powerful ally in both traditional healing and modern herbal supplements.

Sadly, its popularity has also made it a target for overharvesting, leading to severe declines in the wild. Conservation awareness is critical if this culturally significant plant is to survive outside of gardens and greenhouses.

Hypoxis hemerocallidea
HYPOXIDACEAE

Matt William's rescuing the Hypoxis swiftly after a phone call from Gail.  Well done Matt!

Despite the beastly wind, we pressed on, the colours of countless wildflowers swaying at our feet. What a privilege it was to share the day with like-minded friends, passionate about flora and the landscapes that hold them.

Little Tao sitting morosely contemplating the loss of her "mother and friend".

Pondoland C.R.E.W.
Dorothy McIntyre, Uschi Teicher, Maggie Abbott, Gail Bowers-Winters, Tao and Sarel Cilliers.

“Wildflowers are our heritage—protect them."