South Africa – Geographic Location and Endemic Palms

Sir Francis Drake wrote in his journal after rounding the Cape of Good Hope in 1580:

"This Cape is the most stately thing and the fairest Cape we saw in the whole circumference of the earth". Yet from the Golden Hind the Western Cape of South Africa has the longest coastline and the greatest variety of scenery.

From the desert in the west along the Atlantic coastline to the beautiful forest of the east, it is an area of vast contrast in climate, geography, animal and plant live.

Grooves of Date Palms grow in the west along the Oranje River.

The African continent ends almost exactly as it starts thousands of kilometers to the north

with mediteranean climate of winter rain and dry summers and sometimes snow covered mountains strangely reminiscent of the Atlas Range in the north.

Between the Oranje River and its principal tributary, the Vaal lies a rolling prairie of about 1400 meters above sea level, green and warm summers, brown and crispy cold in winter. This prairie is the summit of the central plateau of South Africa. Geologically it is part of the Karoo System.

Further northeast, about 1600 km from the Cape of Good Hope is the Highveld at an altitude of up to 1800 meters above sea level, with Johannesburg , Pretoria area as the industrial power house of the country.

Johannesburg, about 100 years old owes its existence to a penniless prospector, today has a large gold mining and manufacturing industrie.

From the Highveld to the east and northeast the terrain gently decending to the more tropical areas along the Indian Ocean coastline. Borassus aethiopium, Hyphenea coriacea and Phoenix reclinata palms are indigenous to this area.

In the northeast of the country bordering on Mocambique is the well known Kruger National Park with a large variety of game.

Further to the south is KwaZulu Natal, often described as the Garden Province of South Africa. With a great subtropical climate and sufficient rainfall, it is home to a large variety of vegetation.

Just south af the Mocambique border in the Kosi Bay area, one finds large groups of Hyphenea coriacea and Raphia australis palms. The coastline is lined with forests, sandy beaches and lagoons at the mouth of scores of rivers. The warm Mocambique current of the Indian Ocean provides a warm to hot and humid climate in the coastal area.

Durban, with its natural harbour of Port Natal is one of Africas busiest harbours.

Durban Botanical Gardens has over 130 different palm species, a large Cycad collection and indigenous and exotic trees.

KwaZulu Natal has around 4800 different indigenous plants with lots of evergreen trees.

On the KZN south coast are large stands of Phoenix reclinata and Hyphenea coriacea.

Further south in the Transkei area are 2 stands of Jubeaopsis caffra directly on the Mtentu and the Msikaba river mouth.

The climate influenced by the Mocambique current is very favourable to grow palms.

Coconut palms can be grown as far south as Port Elisabeth with a latitude of about 34 degrees south.