Some of the most glamorous plants for Southern California gardens come from a region whose soil is so poor in nutrients that fires are essential in providing fertilizer in the form of ashes for the existing flora. I am speaking about South Africa’s Cape floristic region. This area is more packed with endemic species than any other place on earth.
“Endemic” describes plants that are native to a specific place. Our own Channel Islands, for example, are famous for the seventy endemic species that grow there, and California has more endemic species than any other state. Yet the number of endemic species in the Cape floristic region — an area the size of Colorado — approximates the number of endemic species in all of North America.
Here’s an interesting fact about endemic plants: vast numbers of them come from areas with perpetually dry soils and/or low precipitation. They are plants easily killed by excess water in the root zone. The ecosystem of the South African Cape resembles the chaparral ecosystem for which California is known; both are endemic jackpots.
I was reminded of the Cape floristic region when I recently encountered breath of heaven, which is endemic to that area. The cultivar I saw on this occasion was golden breath of heaven (Coleonema pulchellum cv. Sunset Gold), a plant for full sun. This dazzling botanical treasure grows two feet tall and six feet wide. It also flowers in pink but the payoff is in its solid gold foliage, an extremely rare horticultural find. The conventional breath of heaven grows into a six-foot light green sphere and may take either sun or light shade. Both types are hardy down to 25 degrees.
I had long wondered about the breath of heaven epithet since the flowers of this plant have no scent. But then I learned that its foliage is the source of its fragrance. The key to olfactory appreciation of breath of heaven is to situate it along a pathway so that, each time you walk by, you brush against the foliage and imbibe its delicate perfume.
Here’s another beauty to consider. In fact, I cannot imagine why it is not more widely seen since it deserves a place in every garden. Imagine a plant covered in tiny, pendulous pink pearls in late fall and winter. This plant can live for decades, growing into a bush that is 6 feet tall and nearly as wide. It takes full sun or light shade. It requires monthly watering, if that, during the summer, and never needs to be fertilized or pruned. Cut flower stems endure for several weeks, whether they are placed in a vase of water or used in a waterless, dry flower arrangement.
This dream of a plant is sometimes referred to as Scotch heather (Erica canaliculata ‘Rosea’), even though it comes from the Cape floristic region, because of its resemblance, in needle-like leaf and mini-campanulate flower, to classic heathers from the Scottish Highlands.
Scotch heather nearly always dies in local gardens because of excess water and fertilizer. Although this plant has a delicate look, it should come with a warning label: “Just let me be or I will die.”
Make a point of not watering your Scotch heather any more than you would water other drought-tolerant ornamentals and it may persist for years.
In Joan Citron’s “Selected Plants for Southern California Gardens” (2000), the entry under Scotch heather mentions a specimen growing in the Mildred Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA. It was first observed in 1959 and was still thriving 40 years later.
Then there is Cape Flats Erica (Erica verticillata), so named because of its South African Cape habitat. This Erica develops into an airy 5-foot shrub with short, prickly green foliage and clusters of tubular pink flowers that may bloom at almost any time. The flowers fade to an attractive burnt orange and remain on the plant for more than a month. This feature comes into play when you are considering long-lasting vase arrangements. I have cut woody, foot-long Erica stems and kept them in an inch of water for weeks, their foliage and drying flowers looking as good as the day they were detached from the mother plant.
Cape Flats Erica disappeared from its habitat but was then located in a few botanical gardens around the world and, thanks to seeds taken from its far-flung offspring, has since been returned to its original home.
The national flower of South Africa and a Cape floristic region endemic is the king protea (Protea cynaroides). Fully-expanded, king protea blooms, which are pale pink to crimson in color, may reach one foot across in size. Some flowers will be visible at almost any time of the year. You will need to provide perfect drainage on acidified soil, ideally on sloping terrain, to be successful with proteas and, even then, you should know that this genus is not long-lived. While needing regular moisture until established in the garden, proteas could die if watered more than once or twice a month after that. Make sure never to fertilize a protea with phosphorus. Proteas make outstanding subjects for flower arrangements, maintaining color and form for many weeks.
Leucospermums and leucadendrons are two more famous genera endemic to the Cape floristic region. The pincushion plant (Leucospermum sp.) produces a wealth of blooms. If it gets leggy, pruning will increase flower production. As is the case with the other plants mentioned here, pincushion plants are prime candidates for slope landscaping.
Leucadenron is dioecious genus, which means it has male and female flowers on separate plants. Silver tree (Leucodendron argenteum) is a glorious stand-alone subject as it grows into a steeple measuring 20 feet tall or more. Its silvery foliage and symmetrical shape impart a distinguished look and its stems are excellent candidates for bouquets and vase arrangements. You can place the cut stems in a vase, making sure to remove leaves that would otherwise be submerged and then change the water every other day. Dry the stems for an everlasting tablescape by hanging them upside down or standing them up in an empty bucket for three weeks.
Tip of the Week: Now is an excellent time to mulch. Applying mulch now will keep the soil temperature warm should you decide to plant this month or next and also protect the soil from pounding winter rain. As a general principle, the ground in a garden should never be bare. A constant layer of continually decomposing mulch will promote the health of soil microorganisms that assist plants in fighting soil pathogens and that help roots absorb minerals that would otherwise be unavailable.
Please send questions, comments, and photos to joshua@perfectplants.com.
