Swartland Shale Renosterveld is a type of fynbos that once covered the Swartland and the Tygerberg hills. Less than 5% remains, almost none of it in large pieces. The patch in Boschendal Park is one of those pieces.
- Status
- Critically endangered vegetation type
- Species recorded
- More than 100 plant species
- Threatened species
- Six, including Serruria brownii
- Protected since
- Proclamation of the suburb in 1999
Why it matters here
When Van Riebeeckshof was proclaimed as a residential area in 1999, the approval carried a condition: the natural renosterveld had to be incorporated into the open space managed by the City’s Recreation and Parks Department. That condition is why the area still exists.
More than 100 species have been recorded in this small remnant, including six threatened ones. Serruria brownii, a member of the protea family, is listed as endangered, it was recently upgraded from critically endangered, which is rare good news. New species are still being identified each season.
How it is managed
- Eden Landscaping maintains the area under a special arrangement, guided by the environment trustee, with one staff member working in the renosterveld one day a week.
- Volunteers from the Wildflower Stepping Stones Project remove alien vegetation and help with monitoring.
- Areas are demarcated so the City does not mow them, and mowing is suspended in selected green areas during the winter flowering season.
- Information boards explain the flora to residents and passers-by.
The threat that never goes away
Dumping. Garden refuse, builder’s rubble and household rubbish kill the plants directly and import weeds. The association removes it, but the damage to a remnant this small is not always reversible. If you see dumping, report it on 0860 103 089 and tell the managing agent.