South Africa’s first-ever desert botanical garden has opened in the Northern Cape, showcasing the unique flora of the region’s arid landscapes.
Image: Supplied / Joggie van Staden
ALSO SEE: Places to visit in the Northern Cape
A resident botanist in Richtersveld, Peter van Wyk, has transformed an indigenous nursery at the Sendelingsdrift Rest Camp in |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park into South Africa’s very first desert botanical garden, reports Travel Update.
Richtersveld Desert Botanical Garden showcases 24 flower beds of unique desert flora in the region.
The botanical garden is located in the driest area in the Northern Cape, making it an ideal nook to showcase the unique flora of South Africa’s desert biome.
“A staggering assortment of plant life, some species occurring nowhere else, is to be found [in Richtersveld] with gnarled quiver trees, tall aloes and quaint ‘half-mens’ keeping vigil over this inscrutable landscape,” writes SANParks.
Richtersveld is known for having the highest percentage of succulent plants in the world. Sadly, 400 of these species are under threat due to mining, poaching, overgrazing, and climate change, reports SA People.
Richtersveld Desert Botanical Garden, a collaboration between SANParks and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), aims to showcase the unique flora of this Northern Cape gem.
Throughout National Parks Week, taking place from 9 to 13 September 2024, SANParks is offering SA citizens the opportunity to explore ‘most’ of the country’s 21 national parks, free of charge. The offer has since been extended to 14 and 15 September at select national parks.
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