UC Botanical Garden Trip to Namaqualand

This September, the Garden is sending Horticulturist Ethan Fenner to South Africa. For the first time, he’ll see many of the plants he cares for thriving in their natural habitat. This immersive experience is designed to significantly enhance his understanding and care of these plants, many of them highly specialized.

Ethan, along with Director of Collections Andrew Doran and Research Associate Tim Gregory, will begin their journey in Cape Town and travel north into Namaqualand. This vast region, named after the indigenous Nama Khoi peoples, stretches from Western Cape Province of South Africa along the western coast to the capital of Namibia, Windhoek. Namaqualand is dominated by a unique floristic type known as Succulent Karoo. You can see examples of these plants in the Garden’s Karoo Beds (beds 129, 130, and 131) at the front of the Southern African Collection, known for their stunning springtime display of annuals and geophytes.

Their guides for this expedition are Karel du Toit, former Captain of Police of the town of Springbok who famously combatted trafficking of endangered plant species in the region, and Adam Harrower, Senior Botanical Horticulturist of Xerophytic Plant Collections at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. Both are seasoned experts in South African flora and adept at navigating rugged terrain in search of botanical treasures.

Some examples of genera and species we anticipate seeing in Namaqualand are, clockwise from top left, Aloe glauca, Argyroderma, Conophytum, and Lithops.

Their first stop after leaving the Cape will be near Vanrhynsdorp, at the southern end of the Knersvlakte Nature Preserve, an area of rolling hills and white quartz pebbles. Here, among the various species of vygies (in the Aizoaceae family), they’ll seek out succulent genera like Tylecodon (in the Crassulaceae family) and smaller mesembs such as Conophytum uviforme, known for its distinctive spheroid leaves. After two nights, the team will head to Springbok, the largest town in the region. Their time here will be spent hiking to observe various species of aloes and the captivating “living stones” of the South African desert: Cheiridopsis, Conophytum, and Lithops. Several members of these genera can also be found in the Garden’s Southern African Collection and Arid House. Seeing these plants in their native environment will provide Ethan with critical insights into their specific growing conditions and natural associations.

Succulent Karoo ecosystems exhibit remarkable diversity, with plant distributions determined by latitude, altitude, and soil composition. A key goal of this trip is to gain a deeper understanding of the characteristics and adaptations of certain plants within the Garden’s collection and to observe plant communities. This firsthand knowledge will be instrumental in improving cultivation practices and creating more accurate habitat representations within the Garden. Following their stay in Springbok, they’ll head to the coastal zone to explore a different ecosystem, Namaqualand sandveld  and to see species like Aloe arenicola, Aloe glauca, and the Amaryllid Boophone haemanthoides. At this time of year they will be displaying their signature fan of blue-green leaves.

Boophone haemanthoides, blooming in the Garden’s Southern African Collection

The tour’s northernmost point will be near the coastal town of Port Nolloth. The southernmost end of an area of Namaqualand called the Richterveld, where average rainfall is only around 50 millimeters. While hiking in this part of Namaqualand, the team hopes to encounter Lithops herrei as well as the Monsonia species M. multifida and M. patersonii—interesting caudiciform members of the Geranium family. These are just a few of the Namaqualand species their guides have highlighted; beyond these, they anticipate a rich tapestry of annuals and smaller geophytes that have emerged from dormancy after the season’s rains. After nine days of moving north, they will begin their return trip to Cape Town.

We believe in fostering the professional development of all our horticulturists through trips to nurseries, conferences, and, critically, the native habitats of the plants they manage. While books and online resources are valuable, there’s no substitute for experiencing these environments firsthand. This trip will allow Ethan to see natural plant associations, understand where they grow in the context of the broader landscape, feel the composition of the soils, and gain invaluable insights from people who live in the area. This direct exposure will translate into more informed and effective care for the Garden’s collection, enriching our understanding and presentation of these species for all visitors.

No plant collection will occur during this trip due to the sensitivity of these ecosystems, instead, the focus of the trip is on recording and documentation. Along the way Ethan and Andrew will be posting trip highlights to social media–be sure to follow along on the Garden’s Instagram and Facebook pages @ucbgarden!