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During winter and spring the coast silver oak is entirely covered with large panicles of creamy, thistle-like flowers, that are rich in nectar |
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Pictures courtesy
www.newplant.co.za
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 Coast silver oak, Kusvaalbos, Phahla, Mphahla, umPhahla - Brachylaena discolor
This excellent evergreen coastal tree can be
found growing from the Eastern Cape to Mozambique, and is easily
distinguishable from a distance by its silvery-blue appearance. It is
fast growing and can commonly be found growing in groups, in low-lying
dune forests, coastal woodlands and on the margins of evergreen forests.
It can also be found growing alongside rivers and in woodlands of the
bushveld-savannah. It has a natural tendency to form a dense bushy shrub
or a multi-stemmed tree that branches low down, to form an irregular
v-shaped canopy. In the garden and in exposed positions it will grow
about 4 to 10m tall but in the protection of the forest it can reach 20m
or more.
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What to do and what not to do in your garden in August |
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Iceland Poppies. Picture courtesy -
Bedding Plant Growers Association.
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All Regions
August is when you really start reaping the rewards of your carefully planned winter and spring flowering garden, and as the month progresses the displays will just get better and better; banishing even the worst of the winter-blues.
August can be a very windy month so ensure that all your standard plants and young trees are securely staked. If you have not mulched your beds yet to conserve moisture, August is a good time to do so.
As the days begin to warm up and the buds start to swell, you can gradually increase the amount you water your garden.
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The Coral Aloe is easy to cultivate under a wide variety of climatic conditions |
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Picture courtesy www.newplant.co.za
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Coral Aloe, Blouaalwyn - Aloe striata
This is one of our most popular and showy aloes for the garden. It is widely distributed over the Eastern and Western Cape Province, where it grows in stony soils and on rocky hillsides; in arid areas near the coast and in the drier inland Karoo areas. This fantastic sculptural aloe has broad, silvery to blue-green leaves, with dark green stripes running down the length of the foliage. The leaf margins are spineless with attractive reddish edges. Tall, many-branched inflorescences of attractive coral-red flowers appear from winter to mid-spring and will last for up to three months. The flowers can reach 60cm to 1m tall.
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The Basutu aloe produces masses of delicate yellow, orange or red flowers, mostly from May to August |
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Pictures courtesy www.newplant.co.za
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Basutu kraal aloe, Basotho Kraal Aalwyn, iKhalana - Aloe tenuior
This rambling aloe occurs naturally in grasslands and dry thickets thickets, from the Eastern Cape to southern Kwa-Zulu Natal. It is a semi-erect to rambling or shrublike aloe, consisting of several prostrate stems emerging from a central rootstock at ground level. The plants can reach up to 2m tall and can spread as wide. The name 'tenuior' indicates the thin stems that will take root along the part of the stem lying on the ground, forming large clumps. The flowering time is variable, but the masses of delicate yellow, orange or red flowers appear mostly from May to August. The fleshy leaves are greyish-green, often unevenly curving inward, with small soft teeth on the edges.
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The striking winter-blooming flowers of the dune aloe appear in June and July |
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Picture courtesy www.newplant.co.za
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Dune Aloe, Strandaalwyn -
Aloe thraskii
As its name implies the Dune Aloe is most useful for seaside planting. It has been given tree status in South Africa and varies in height from 2 to 3m tall, with mature specimens reaching up to up to 4m. It can be found growing all along the coastline, on dunes and coastal bush; from the northern Parts of the Eastern Cape into the southern parts of KwaZulu-Natal.
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