Mimetes hottentoticus

Mimetes hottentoticus, the silver pagoda or Hottentotstompie (Afrikaans), is a rare perennial member of the Proteaceae family restricted to a small area of only about 5 sq km at high altitude in the Kogelberg Reserve.

This is a high rainfall, misty area where low temperatures normally prevail. Stompie refers to the stump that remains when bigger plants of this and the Brunia genera are destroyed by the periodic veld fires that occur here.

The plants are hardy in habitat, but difficult to grow. Replicating the montane conditions of the natural distribution area is clearly not easy, which is remarkable given how low the nutrient levels are in the delicate habitat soil.

The plants normally survive for about 30 years, a feature of many Proteaceae shrubs (Manning, 2007; www.plantzafrica.com).