Hypocalyptus sophoroides

Hypocalyptus sophoroides, sometimes called the wedgeleaf redkeur and commonly known in Afrikaans as the rooikeur (red blossom tree or Virgilia), is a robust, tree-like shrub reaching heights from 1 m to 6 m. It is sometimes multistemmed, usually sprouting after fire in the eastern part of its distribution range, an unusually divergent attribute. It is tempting to present this shrub among the trees on this Site!

The species distribution is in the Western Cape from the Cederberg to Stellenbosch, Caledon, the Langeberg Mountains and the Little Karoo.

The habitat is montane and riparian fynbos on sandstone. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Manning, 2007; Bean and Johns, 2005; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).