Fire Asparagus Sunday Flower Walk

It is now 4½ weeks since the fire and we were today discussing the plants which have recovered, in order of their appearance.

Within days the Fire Lilies Cyrtanthus ventricosa were up, and at the same time the green shoots of Lanaria lanata were pushing up their burned ends. Various grasses were quick to follow. We were happy to see the Agapanthus walshii shooting from burned stumps. Then we found the Fire Asparagus Asparagus lignosus and it's all over! Recognisable by the dense light green splash it makes on the burned background, it's standing out and the earliest are now in flower:

Asparagus lignosus flowers and leaves

The flowers are tiny, the leaves firm, almost like short pine-needles and the thorns in the axils needle sharp!

Asparagus lignosus branch

What is surprising is that it seems to have been there all the time and we've never noticed them! Look at the base of this one; there are plenty of burned-off stems. The 'woodiness' of the name 'lignosus' is apparent here:

Base of Asparagus lignosus plant showing burned-off stems

This is what the whole plant looks like in the bleak landscape:

Asparagus lignosus plant

I mentioned the Agapanthus walshii, we have been watching them for years now and know where to find them. But what is very satisfying is to see others in their vicinity now shooting, which we were unaware of.

Agapanthus walshii

They are very rare; in SANBI's Red List, they are EN B1ab(ii,iii); C1

"Known from a restricted range (35 km²) in the Elgin valley, recorded from less than five locations with continuing decline of the largest subpopulation occurring as a result of informal settlement expansion." It's pleasing to know that they will have survived the fire. It took some looking to find a bunch we have been keeping an eye on for years. We knew where to look and knew that it should be sprouting. The fire must have been very 'hot' there, but today we found it and packed stones around to make it easier it find in future. There were five flowers on it when the fire came through, including one which we had put a stocking over, to catch a few seeds. Agapanthus walshii, an old stand, recovering Elsewhere, they're thriving! More Agapanthus walshii The Pelargoniums are recovering fast in places, some straight out of the ground: Pelargonium out of the ground ..... and some from the bases of burned bushes: Pelargonium recovering from the base of a burned bush This shows the stage that Lanaria lanata has reached so far, this one recognisable by the remains of flowers:

Lanaria lanata with the remains of flowers

All over, the Palmiet is pushing out green shoots, not only from the burned stems, but from the base too:

Palmiet, shooting

So far this is the only Fire Lily Cyrtanthus ventricosa we have found which has set seed. The leaves are showing, but from our observations, they don't get much bigger than this:

Fire Lily Cyrtanthus ventricosa with seed pod

One side of the pod is open, we're not sure whether it has been eaten or that it's beginning to split open to distribute seeds.

Seed pod of Fire Lily Cyrtanthius ventricosa

To give an idea of how 'hot' the fire was and how deep it burned, this dog lead is 1.2 metres long and its clip is just touching the bottom of the hole left from a pine root! If that plant on top survives, it's hardy!

Root of pine burned to a depth of more than one metre!

Here, Lanaria lanata is giving the otherwise bleak background a green hue:

Lanaria lanata greening the bleak background!

It made a change to get back into the unburned section and to find old favourites like this White Water Alder Brachylaena neriifolia, still in flower, as the others would be!

White Water Alder Brachylaena neriifolia in flower

.... and our old favourite, the Many Umbrellas Heath Erica multumbellifera:

Many Umbrellas Heath Erica multumbellifera

This is how it grows, many of the flowers are spent:

Erica multumbellifera plant

At the dam on the Experimental Farm next door, we were treated to the sight of six Spoonbills. We seldom see more than one at a time. Here they are amongst Sacred Ibis, Blacksmith Plovers (oops! Lapwings) and a Darter:

Six Spoonbills amongst Sacred Ibis, Lapwings and a Darter

We watched the large flock of Sacred Ibis land, then just four Hadeda Ibis took off from the bank of the dam on the left with their raucous calls, causing all the birds on the island to fly away, the Spoonbills keeping to themselves in flight, and returning first. What made the Hadeda's fly off? Not sure, but looking up we saw a Fish Eagle circling! Quite a performance for us in a minute or so!

:-) A

It takes more than a fire...... Sunday Flower Walk

It's now two and a half weeks since the fire, and the Agapanthus walshi are pushing up already!

Agapanthus walshii coming up!

This was where we found the 20+ flowers recently. There are more in this vicinity breaking through the burned sand:

More Agapanthus walshii!

From a distance the area looks grey but as you come closer, the green patches are more noticeable. Pat confirmed that the tough vee-shaped green leaves coming up are Lanaria lanata, but if there were any doubts, this dispels them; the remains of the flowers are intact:

Lanaria lanata, still with the remains of flowers

The length of the green above the ground is already between 6 and 8 inches on average:

More Lanaria lanata, it's about the most prolific plant showing now.

.... and the base of the shrub on the left is shooting! Here is a Palmiet, shrugging off the effects of the fire:

Palmiet

There are still a few Fire Lilies Cyrtanthus ventricosa to be seen, some showing a leaf or two:

Fire Lilies Cyrtanthus ventricosa with leaves

Here is the cone of a Leucadendron of some kind, no doubt Nature has made it spread its seeds after the fire .....

Leucadendron

...... in the same way as this Protea cynaroides, which has just two seeds left to scatter!

Protea cynaroides with two seeds to go!

This plant was astonishing, it is already about two feet tall:

Unknown plant already two feet tall

....... and it's about to flower!

Detail of buds

This grass or Restio is making a remarkable recovery and there was lots of it.

Grass or Restio? 

It seems that termites have survived, there was plenty of evidence of white sand being deposited out of holes like this:

Termite activity

Here is 'our' Erica which we think is E. plukenetii, burned but still recognisable. We'll be watching it closely!

Erica plukenetii(?) burned

This is the stem of the Heeria argentea we found recently. It is tucked well in under the rock, which may well have saved it.

Stem of Heeria argentea under a big rock

..... and surely this Leucadendron has been through more than one fire?

Stem of a Leucadendron, not yesterday's child!

I have taken this photo many times of the Mountain Dahlia Liparia splendens with the Eikenhof Dam and Country Club in the distance. I hope this magnificent specimen survives.

Burned Mountain Dahlia Liparia splendens, a familiar view.

The Pelargoniums are recovering quickly too:

Pelargonium, bouncing bask!

Here's another Agapanthus walshii; you see we know where to look for them!

Another Agapanthus walshii.

.... and this looks like a Wachendorfia paniculata:

Wachendorfia paniculata

We found this, not sure what it is, but it wouldn't stand still in the fresh Northwester, which we hope might bring some rain. We've just had two light showers since the fire.

Unknown plant/bulb?

... even with Pippa holding the stem!

Flower detail, out of focus:-(

Back in the unburned section, the Buchu Agathosma betulina is flowering nicely, and we noticed another 'baby' under it. I'm so glad it didn't burn!

Buchu Agathosma betulina with flowers

I didn't have a memory card in the camera so these were all taken with my phone :-) A

Slow Recovery Sunday Flower Walk

Yes, we can't be in a hurry, but it is remarkable how many of the plants are bouncing back, shrugging off the effect of the fire.

But first at the Railway Cottages, nobody is going to dig out the bulbs of this March Flower Amaryllis belladonna, they're right inside a Prickly Pear Opuntia!

Amaryllis belladonna growing inside a Prickly Pear

The Prickly Pear Opuntia has its own beautiful flowers!

Prickly Pear Opuntia flower

Half of this Erica had a lucky escape, this is right at the edge of the fire:

Half of this Erica escaped the fire!

There is lots of this coming up..... we're not sure yet what it is, perhaps Lanaria lanata? The leaves are tough and ribbed and in a vee-shape.

Is this Lanaria lanata?

Pippa is showing how deeply the roots burned!

That's how deep the roots burned!

We probably saw the best of the Fire Lilies Cyrtanthus ventricosa last week, but there are still many particularly on the south and south-east slopes.

Fire Lily Cyrtanthus ventricosa

Some animals escaped the fire, it seems, we followed this tortoise track for about 100 metres, not knowing which end the animal might be!

Tortoise tracks, but which way was it going?

The Wurm flushed out a rabbit at one stage, but it was too fast and agile for her. Luckily neither dog saw this well camouflaged lizard:

Spot the lizard! Luckily the dogs didn't!

We have photographed this magnificent Restio before, the centre is still green.

The inside of this Restio is still green!

This bike trail is unlikely to be used for a while, but the sign survived!

The sign survived, but the path is uninviting.

Just a few seeds to disperse from this King Protea Protea cynaroides flower. There must be thousands of seeds in these enormous spent flowers! As usual in Nature, Fibonacci spirals!

Just a few seeds out of thousands left to disperse

This Fire Lily Cyrtanthus ventricosa was worth going off the path for!

Fire Lily Cyrtanthus ventricosa growing between the rocks

The fire is still smouldering in this area, but look at the Fire Lilies!

There are six Fire Lilies in this photo, and the fire is still smouldering!

In one normally wet area it's already starting to green up!

Regrowth in a flood plain.

:-) A

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