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Common Sourberry
Known in Afrikaans as the Gewone Suurbessie, the sourberry is a shrub that reaches a height of about 7m. The fruit of this tree is bright red when mature, they are pleasantly acid-flavoured and are much sought after by Zimbali’s birds and monkeys.
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Forest Honeysuckle
A scrambling shrub that grows up to 4m, the honeysuckle is an excellent plant for attracting sunbirds and hawkmoths. It has an abundance of white flowers that bloom from spring through summer, even maintaining a few flowers during the cooler winter months, which are a favourity with Zimbali’s duiker.
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Natal Wild Banana
Growing up to 12m high and 4m wide, the Natal wild banana is an evergreen with smooth, wooded stems. The enormous, opposite leaves are a shiny, grey-green, with blades of up to 2m in length, The flower is similar to the strelitzia, an inflorescence that resembles the head of crane, with a white crest and purple beak. The tree flowers yearlong with a peak between October and December.
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Forest Cucumber
This is a very vigorous creeper that grows at the edges of the forest. The red fruits are highly visible in the winter months and provide a valuable source of food for Zimbali’s creatures.
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Parrot Gladiolus
Commonly known as the African glodiolus, this flowering plant grows up to 2m, with flowers ranging from bright red to yellow-orange. Abundant along the road verges and the more open parts of the estate, this species was one of the original parents for the hybrids that are seen in florist shops today.
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Winged Orchid
Common in the open areas along the dunes and road verges in Zimbali, this orchid flowers in spring. The fine seed grows rapidly in the loose sands of the dunes and will flower three years after germinating.
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Lucky Bean Creeper
A vigorous deciduous creeper that thrives in the more open parts of the estate, the lucky bean has mauve flowers that appear in spring, and develop into a cluster of pods that split open in late summer to reveal the red and black seeds.
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Snake Lily
Another spring-flowering bulb, with a spectacular orange bloom, the snake lily attracts a wide variety of bird and insect life which feed on its rich nectar. Traditionally used by Zulu herbalists as an indication of the beginning of the spring sowing season, the snake lily grows up to about a metre high.
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Common Bush Cherry
Several butterfly species lay their eggs on the bush cherry, a slow growing shrub in the light dune bush that has a mass of white stamens that resemble a shaving brush, the flowers stand out against the dark green foliage of the plant.
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Bush Tickberry
The most common plant in the coastal dunes of KwaZulu-Natal, the bush tickberry attracts a plethora of bird species to an indigenous sub-tropical garden. The common name is derived from the sweet succulent black berries that are produced during the winter months.
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White Pear
The shite pear has a rippled bark that is mottled with whites, creams and orange hues, with leaves that are a vibrant green. It’s flowers are small and white appearing in large bunches on the branch ends, which develop into small red and black, kidney-shaped fruit.
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Dune Sour Fig
A pioneer at the leading edge of Zimbali’s dune systems, this creeping triangular-leafed plant has attractive mauve flowers, which bloom in summer. The juice from the crushed leaves is used as a relieving agent on blue bottle stings. The dune fig enjoys full sun and is a rapid growing groundcover.
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Blue Commelina
This is a common shade plant, which is perennial and spreads swiftly in the dune forests all along the KwaZulu-Natal coast. Seed-eating birds feed on the fine kernels that the commelina sheds. The succulent leaves and stems allow this plant to survive fairly dry conditions.
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Forest Hibiscus
This herb forms dense growths on the forest edges where the yellow flowers attract many insects. When shed from the capsules, the seeds are eaten by forest dwelling doves like the tambourine dove.
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