Erica discolor grown big near Caledon

This spreading Erica discolor shrub was found flowering north of Caledon in February. Scattered pinkish red flower tubes with cream-coloured tips present a brave summer celebration among the fynbos and exotics harassed by the sun. Many ericas shut down and wait under these stressful conditions, but the probably deep and well-established root system of the big plant in a fortunate setting allows for a lead performance.

The species is hardy, sometimes resprouting after fire. Variable in plant size, growth habit and flower colour, although the earlier subspecies of E. discolor have been done away with, multiple forms are grown naturally from seed, true to type but differing like siblings. This produces the variations, all tested in the real life of different environments.

Different plant responses allow for selective germination and selective survival of seedlings, the forms adjusted to the prevailing conditions set the seed. This is how the species slowly transforms firstly for coping, and secondly for diversifying into varieties, subspecies and eventually different species. The second response is just multiples of the first, as the species spreads and meets different challenges (Manning and Helme, 2024; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Manning, 2007; iNaturalist).