Spekboom and bitteraalwyn

So the Little Karoo is short on trees? Both Aloe ferox, the bitter aloe and Portulacaria afra, the spekboom, reach heights of 4m to 5 m in this habitat. Both appear in the National List of Indigenous Trees, but also in books on local succulents.

Neither may be tall like oaks and firs, but they preside over this grey scrub with unquestioned dignity. And provide shelter to many that use their hospitality in diverse ways, according to the peculiar needs and lifestyles of the many species that share the space from time to time.

The bitter aloe flowers red or orange, as well as some less seen colours in its winter season, while the spekboom produces flowers in shades of pink, nearly red or purplish in spring.

The photo was taken in August on the lower slopes of the Rooiberg. The Aloe has done flowering for the year, having some fruit capsules to show; the Portulacaria should bloom in a couple of months.

Both species thrive in much of the Little Karoo habitat and should be seen many times by the motorist driving through (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Smith and Crouch, 2009; Von Breitenbach and Von Breitenbach, 1995).