Erica ferrea

Erica ferrea, commonly iron-red heath, is a slender, erect shrublet reaching heights from 40 cm to 70 cm. The plant grows numerous side-branchlets. Some variations of the species were previously called E. crenata. 

The leaves grow in whorls of three or four, adhering to the stems. The leaf-shape is oblong and slightly angular where the edges are rolled under. Leaf tips are pointed and sometimes slightly yellow. The margins are minutely toothed with glands present.

The flowers grow in small umbels at stem tips. At the peak of their bloomtime the plants are normally covered in bright pink, somewhat globose flowers, growing on reddish to purple stalks. This may happen from summer to early winter. The flower has a small mouth surrounded by four tiny pink or white corolla lobes. Towards the back of the little corolla, an almost spherical urn, there are dark tips of the grasping calyx that “holds the ball”.

The species distribution is in the far southwest of the Western Cape, possibly extinct on Table Mountain, but still found in the south of the Peninsula and in coastal patches of the Cape Flats to as far north as Yzerfontein. The plant in picture is grown at Kirstenbosch in a special collection of severely threatened species, where the plight of such plants is publicised. This serves to halt, or at least retard the destructive processes through enlisting support from caring people.

The habitat of E. ferrea is sandy fynbos flats and lower slopes. It is one of the Cape plant species threatened by extinction from lost and degraded habitat, due to human encroaching. Urban development, farming practices that provide food for our burgeoning population, introduction of alien vegetation for various reasons (or by accident) all contribute to the threatening of species survival. Biodiversity is very much needed by people for their survival too! 

Humanity can solve (some of) the problems it creates. A workable plan is always preceded by understanding and commitment. The time it all takes reduces the probability of success. Interesting how busy we are contributing to the problem while we are economically active and how caring we become in old age when mainly other old people have time to listen to such stories! Maybe we just get old too soon and wise too late (Manning and Helme, 2024; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; Wikimedia; www.sanparks.org; http://redlist.sanbi.org).