African Wildlife & Environment Issue 81

GARDENING FOR BIODIVERSITY

where the leaves can blend in with round stones while the flowers rise well above them.Very useful in landscaping, C. orbiculata is excellent as a border plant or along pathways. They also make great container plants, especially around swimming pools, because they are not messy. However, as good drainage is essential, clay pots are best and keep in mind that over-watering frequently causes stem rot. Also, do ensure that you get plants of a variety which belongs in your particular geographical area; those from the winter rainfall region will not be too happy at the humid KwaZulu-Natal coast or on the frosty Gauteng Highveld and vice versa . Indeed, these plants seldom flower prolifically when outside of their natural area.

The slug-like, green caterpillar of the Pale Ciliate Blue Anthene livida . (Photograph S Woodhall.)

‘gorgeous’ by its admirers, all three species of these smallish butterflies look very similar. They have prominent black ‘eyes’, encircled by white rings, on the outer edges of their bronze-brown wings. Seldom moving far from their food-plants, they usually fly close to the ground. Females lay white eggs and the green, slug-like caterpillars bore into the leaves where their presence inside is easily detected by the droppings which appear from the resulting holes. All C. orbiculata asks, in return for the pleasure it gives environmentally-friendly gardeners, is to be given lots of sunshine and well-drained soil, especially in regions of high rainfall. It will, however, tolerate some shade in drier areas and survives almost anything, from drought to moderate frost and poor soil. Being shallow rooted, the lightest rain shower can replenish the fleshy leaves, which serve as water reservoirs. In nature, the different varieties are found in various habitats with extremely diverse soil conditions. They occur in rocky outcrops, on slopes, cliffs and coastal dunes, in inland and coastal scrub, grassland, valley bushveld and sometimes even along roadways. In the garden the best location for this ‘no nonsense’ plant is, without doubt, in a rockery

For many gardeners, one of the best features of C. orbiculata is its easy propagation. New plants often arise when brittle parts, such as a leaf, fall to the ground and take root on the spot. In fact, bits of a plant, disposed of by a gardener, may simply re-root and form new plants even on the garbage heap. This is one of the reasons they are so popular with nurseries and landscapers who find them an The Lilac-based Black-eye Leptomyrina gorgias may be seen by eastern gardeners who grow Cotyledon orbiculata . (Photograph S Woodhall.)

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