African Wildlife and Environment Issue 70

FAUNA, FLORA & WILDLIFE

Trees

Small plants (including bulbs) Becium obovatum

Albizia adianthifolia Apodytes dimidiata Clerodendrum glabrum Deinbollia oblongifolia Ekebergia capensis Galpinia transvaalica Gardenia volkensii Heteropyxis natalensis Peltophorum africanum Ptaeroxylon obliquum Schotia brachypetala Tabernaemontana elegans Nuxia floribunda Dais cotiniifolia

Flatcrown White Pear

Cat's Whiskers Silky Buttons Fairy Crassula

Cotula sericea

Crassula multicava Gazania species Haemanthus albiflos Helichrysum petiolare Otholobium decumbens Sansevieria aethiopica Sansevieria hyacinthoides Justicia petiolaris

Smooth Tinderwood

Pompom Tree Dune Soapberry

Gazanias

White Paint Brush Mattress Everlasting

Cape Ash

Wild Pride of India Bushveld Gardenia

Blue Justicia

Natal Lavender

Mother-in-law's-Tongue Mother-in-law's-Tongue

Forest Elder

Scabiosa africana Scadoxus puniceus Stachys aethiopica

African Wattle Sneezewood

Pincushion Paint Brush

Weeping Boerbean

African Stachys

Toad Tree

Climbers

Turraea floribunda Virgilia oroboides Ziziphus mucronata

Honeysuckle Tree

Combretum bracteosum

Hiccupnut

Blossom Tree Buffalo Thorn

Nectar for birds There are no bird species that feed entirely on nectar. Even nectarivores that feed largely on nectar, supplement their diet with insects, and feed their newly hatched young exclusively on a diet of insects. They gradually add nectar to the diet, increasing the amount as their young mature. Many flowering plants that have chosen birds to pollinate them, provide a dilute but sugary nectar that has low concentrations of amino acids. Scientists believe that this may be a strategy for plants to encourage the birds to fly further and over a wider area in search of nectar, thus carrying their pollen further afield with them. The flowers are most often tubular, red or orange and not strongly scented, as birds are attracted by colour more than by scent. The nectar feeding bird’s beak and tongue are long and narrow, with the tongue being grooved to take up nectar quickly and efficiently from the bottom of the flower. As one can see, there is a vast array of nectar bearing plants to choose from, and these lists are by no means exhaustive. If you notice indigenous plants in your wanderings through nature, that insects or birds are particularly busy around, take a picture and see if you can identify it. A good indigenous nursery will most likely be able to help you source the plant or have it in stock. Place plants so that you can enjoy watching the hive of activity around them, and for butterfly nectar plants, it is particularly important to place them in a warm, sheltered part of the garden, where the butterflies can feed without being buffeted by the wind.

Many of the Aloes and Kniphofias that bear bird attracting nectar flower best in the sun, so give them pride of place where you can see them too. As nectarivores do not feed solely on nectar, but also on insects, and some on fruit as well, it is important that the wildlife garden also includes plant species that attract many insects, as well as those that bear fruit.

Shrubs

Agathosma ovata Buddleja salviifolia Diospyros lycioides Dracaena aletriformis Duvernoia adhatodoides

False Buchu Sagewood Bluebrush

Large-leaved Dragon Tree

Pistolbush Puzzle Bush

Ehretia rigida Freylina tropica

White Honey Bell Bush Common Spikethorn

Gymnosporia buxifolia Mitriostigma axillare Plectranthus hereroensis

Dwarf Loquat

Herero Spur Flower

Portulacaria afra Psychotria capensis

Porkbush

Black Bird-Berry

Syncholostemon densiflorus

Pink Plume Wild Medlar

Vangueria infausta

Synchelostemon densiflorus

Heather Balcomb Random Harvest www.rh.co.za

Leonotis leonurus

Synchelostemon densiflorus

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