by Zoë Poulsen - Cape Town Botanist | Jun 3, 2014 | Cape Floristic Region, Ecology, Fynbos, Hiking, Landscape History, Mountains, Research, Travel
Last week was a whirlwind. On Monday I was in the green and gently rolling hills of Dorset, England in the beautiful old Victorian house where I grew up. It was early summer, the buttercups were flowering and even the sheep were smiling. I left with great reluctance after a break that was all too short. By Tuesday night I was curled up on the floor sleeping in a small frozen heap in Doha airport in Qatar in the Middle East. Wednesday night brought me back to a cold and wintery Cape Town.
by Zoë Poulsen - Cape Town Botanist | May 1, 2014 | Cape Floristic Region, Ecology, Fire, Fynbos, Hiking, Mountains, Travel
One of the greatest joys of Capetonian life is the ease with which one can escape the intensity of the city into pristine mountain wilderness. Just an hour out of town over Sir Lowry’s Pass lies the stunning, rugged and achingly beautiful Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve. It is here we chose to spend the Easter weekend.
by Zoë Poulsen - Cape Town Botanist | Apr 28, 2014 | Ecology, Ethnobotany, Forest, Kirstenbosch, Plant Profiles
One of the highlights of any visit to Cape Town’s Kirstenbosch National Botanic Gardens in April are the carpets of Plectranthus flowers occupying every available shady corner at this time of year. Colours vary from white to pale pink to the deepest dark blues and purples with species of every height, form and variety being cultivated under the shadow of Table Mountain’s eastern buttresses and crags.
by Zoë Poulsen - Cape Town Botanist | Apr 9, 2014 | Cape Floristic Region, Ecology, Ethnobotany, Fynbos, Plant Profiles
Mention the word parasite and a number of things may spring into one’s mind: squiggling flesh-eating maggots, blood sucking fleas and ticks, giant nematodes and many other gruesome critters too numerous to mention. It is fascinating to note that there are thousands of parasites within the plant kingdom as well and one of South Africa’s most well-known and widespread examples, Hyobanche sanguinea is pink and furry and really rather beautiful.
by Zoë Poulsen - Cape Town Botanist | Apr 7, 2014 | Ecology, Mountains, Namaqualand, Research, Succulent Karoo, Travel
So what do a tuna tin, a paint scraper and several thousand sosatie sticks have in common? Confused? The answer is elementary my dear Watson: all are important tools of the trade in undertaking research into Biological Soil Crusts. Last year I spent two months in Namaqualand assisting a German colleague with her research work and discovering that there is far more than meets the eye to these tiny members of the Succulent Karoo plant community.
by Zoë Poulsen - Cape Town Botanist | Apr 3, 2014 | Cape Floristic Region, Conservation, Ecology, Fynbos, Table Mountain
This autumn the weather of the last few weeks has had Capetonians all over hunkered down with their hot chocolate and warmest clothes and blankets, as unusually early winter rain has arrived. There has been a distinct chill in the air and reports have come in of snow falls in the mountains further inland. While drinking my morning tea on the stoep and watching raging torrents of water cascading down the eastern face of Table Mountain, I noticed this curious and beautiful plant flowering at my feet for the first time.
