Beach scrub

Coastal scrub such as seen here often lives on the brink. The elements rough up these plants by the sea much of the time, respite rare during any of the seasons, especially in the valued holiday weather! Adaptation built on little survival victories passed on over thousands of generations has brought resilience.

Sideroxylon inerme in the foreground achieves tree status, but not here. It partners with strange beach-fellows like Asparagus capensis that is never more than a shrublet. Further back, stunted Searsia or taaibos (sticky bush) can be seen, impervious to the occasional salty spray. Little bulbous flowers will perform seasonally on the edges, while climbers send rambling shoots to peep out among the leaves here and there.

It is cooperation among the different species in this dense mix that achieves the sustainable result: Fierce winds cannot toss individual plants about too much because collectively they form one stable structure. Covering the ground keeps sun and wind out, retaining moisture for use by all. Being evergreen brings stability to the patch.

Shared density affords free housing for small animals, birds and insects needing shelter. It also resists the bigger, disruptive animals, often even Homo sapiens that can be destructive, for when humanity arrives on holiday, the sustainability of seaside ecology is often tested.