Staff from the Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden (SUBG) have started with a project through which they are introducing critically endangered plant species in locations across the university’s campus. The plants from the first completed beds come from an endemic habitat in Gordon’s Bay that has now been lost to residential development.
This is according to professor Donovan Kirkwood, curator of the SUBG.
Professor Donovan Kirkwood, curator of the Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden spoke to MatieMedia about the rescue mission that the botanical gardens staff carried out to save endangered plant species from a residential development in Gordon’s Bay. PHOTO: Téa Bell
Budding bulbs
Two plots have been planted on the Rooiplein outside of SU’s Life Sciences Building and two have been planted in the SUBG as of 2 July. The plant beds flanking the entrance to the SU library have also been allotted to the habitat, and replanting in these plots should commence within the next few months, said Kirkwood.
According to Kirkwood, replanting on SU’s grounds began in late 2021 after the SUBG received information from an anonymous source about the construction of a residential estate in a Gordon’s Bay region rife with rare and endemic plants.
“SUBG staff [along with faculty members from SU’s department of zoology and botany] drove back and forth between Gordon’s Bay and Stellenbosch to rescue the remaining plants over the next few months,” said Bruce Esau, a horticulturist at the SUBG.
Bruce Esau, a horticulturist at the Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden was part of a team of people who went to go and investigate the possible destruction of a rare plant habitat in Gordon’s Bay. “We discovered that there was an actual construction site and [the developers] were about to wipe this entire plot of land with these local and endemic species,” explained Esau. PHOTO: Téa Bell
Among the plants recovered from the development were: Indigofera psoraloides, Monsonia speciosa, and Geissorhiza erosa – all categorised as endangered species by the South African National Biodiversity Institute. Endangered plant species face a very high risk of extinction with many of their natural habitats declining due to rapid urban expansion. This is according to SANBI’s official website.
Rewilding campus
Planting the endangered species on SU’s grounds “provides an opportunity for people to get to know the Western Cape’s unique and endangered local wild habitats […] and allows easy access to the habitat for teaching and research,” said Kirkwood.
“The plant beds on the Rooiplein have been used as a teaching resource in third-year [angio sperm diversity] practicals,” added Frikkie Becker, a PhD student in the department of botany and zoology at SU who assisted withrecovering plants from the Gordon’s Bay site.
Plants from a rare habitat were recently rescued from a development in Gordon’s Bay and replanted in plots at the Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden (SUBG) and on the Rooiplein. Professor Donovan Kirkwood, curator of the SUBG, hopes that having the plants on display will help to inform people about the importance of preserving native habitats. PHOTO: Téa Bell
Professor Bruce Anderson is a pollination biologist from the department of botany and zoology at SU. Anderson is currently researching left-right asymmetry in Wachendorfia paniculate – one of the bulb species rescued from the Gordon’s Bay site, and which has now been conveniently replanted on the Rooiplein, near his office.
“I wanted a population of [Wachendorfia] that is easy to manipulate and far away from other populations of plants – so this plot will possibly be perfect,” said Anderson.
Anderson also hopes that the plots will “increase insect diversity in the area” and kickstart the department’s plans to “rewild the university’s campus”. This would involve replanting endemic plant species in plots currently occupied by non-native habits or non-indigenous plants, explained Anderson.
The Western Cape government’s website explains that planting indigenous plants supports biodiversity by attracting indigenous birds, preserving natural heritage and attracting indigenous pollinators like bees and songbirds.
According to Becker, the Rooiplein plots have already started to attract pollinators. “Probably two months after we planted all of this, the two beds just started booming with grasshoppers and bees,” said Becker. “I even saw a long proboscis fly [there] the other day!”
Plants recovered from a habitat in Gordon’s Bay have been given a new home at Stellenbosch University. A number of the plant species saved are “endangered” or “vulnerable” according to the South African National Biodiversity Institute’s (SANBI) website.PHOTOS: Supplied/ Donovan Kirkwood. INFOGRAPHIC: Téa Bell. SOURCE: SANBI
Endemic habitats best left alone
Although the SUBG managed to recover some plant species from the Gordon’s Bay site, Becker emphasised, “a habitat can never be completely restored to its original state”.
“In a way, [having the plants on display on campus] has been lovely for us. It gives us an opportunity to showcase a really threatened habitat type,” Kirkwood said. He added, however, that a better outcome would have been, “if [the habitat] could have stayed where it was”.
The plants rescued from a nearly destroyed native habitat in Gordon’s Bay have already begun to attract pollinators in their new home on Stellenbosch University’s (SU) campus. This is according to Frikkie Becker, a PhD student in the department of botany and zoology at SU. “Probably two months after we planted all of this, these two beds just started booming with grasshoppers and bees,” said Becker. “I even saw a long proboscis fly here the other day!”, he exclaimed. PHOTO: Téa Bell
According to the Western Cape Government’s website, planting indigenous plants in gardens helps to support the province’s natural flora, are drought resistant, preserves natural habitats and attracts indigenous pollinators. Frikkie Becker, a PhD student in the department of botany and zoology at Stellenbosch University, spoke to MatieMedia about the importance of “changing our perception of what is beautiful” in terms of the flora we choose to grow in our gardens. Becker recommends a shift away from non-indigenous plants like roses and shrubs that are aesthetically appealing but do little to support natural ecosystems. Instead, Becker encourages people to appreciate the beauty of indigenous plants and opt to plant these in their gardens. AUDIO: Téa Bell