Fernkloof flowers to brighten your day

Writer: Dr Anina Lee.

A friend alerted me to the fact that there is a specimen of the Hermanus Cliff Lily (Gladiolus carminius) flowering next to the Elephant Path in Fernkloof Nature Reserve. Isn’t this unusual? Well yes, it is. The Cliff Lily is so called because its normal hang-out is on the cliff path, close to the sea, in Hermanus. This beautiful bright pink ‘glad’ is endemic to the Hermanus cliffs – meaning that it grows nowhere else. Apparently not so. But how did it get to the Elephant Path?

For those who are not familiar with Hermanus, the Elephant Path leads from Hermanus town (between the sports complex and the cemetery) over the mountain to the Hemel-en- Aarde Valley beyond.

Indigofera superba is also known as the ‘Superb Pea’.

Incidentally, there is no recorded proof that elephants did or didn’t use the path in days gone by, but it’s a nice story. Reportedly, Hermanus Pieters used this path when he came over the mountain with his flock of sheep and found the fresh-water spring that led to the establishment of the town.

Click below to read more. (The full article can be found on page 14)