LEARNING FROM NATURE
There are different types of coastal vegetation in South Africa and, as always, it’s best to garden with plants from your region. Looking closely at how plants grow naturally along your coast will give you valuable clues to planning and planting.
Strandveld occurs mainly in the winter-rainfall region and in alkaline soils, from the West Coast to the Cape Peninsula and extending eastwards to Port Elizabeth. It is a low shrubby vegetation characterised by a mix of succulents and shrubs. Where it receives more rain it can form a dense thicket up to 3m high consisting of shrubs, small trees and climbers.
Coastal fynbos is found in acidic soil derived from Table Mountain sandstone. Coastal forest occurs further north in areas that receive more than 800mm rain per year, right into the subtropical parts of the country.
Wherever you are along the coast, as you walk inland from the dunes you should see a gradual succession of plants; first, grasses and pioneer ground covers that can cope with salt and shifting sand; then tough, low-growing shrubs. Beyond that there may be larger shrubs and small trees, often bound together with climbers and forming a dense thicket. Note how this is an intermingled mix of shrubs and trees – there is no such thing as a stand-alone tree! The thicket is often sheared by the wind on the sea side and is at least twice as deep as it is high.