DESPATCHES Rooibos
Pull up a chair, sit down and pour a cuppa; I've got a story to tell you. Long ago, the continents formed, and specific biomes developed to suit the geography, climate and micro-climates, soil and nutrients in any given area.
One of the smallest but most diverse plant kingdoms was the Cape Floral Region. It's so remarkable that it is inscribed on Unesco's World Heritage List and is considered of Outstanding Universal Value. Unesco tells us it's one of the richest areas for plants compared to any similar-sized area in the world. It makes up less than 0.5% of Africa but is home to nearly 20% of its flora, and the diversity, density and endemism of the flora are among the highest worldwide. The region is one of the world's 35 biodiversity hotspots.
We know all this as fynbos. And one of those plants is We know it as rooibos. You may be surprised to learn thatit growing from about Vanrhynsdorp in the north to Betty's Bay in the south. But only selected forms of the species – found mainly on the Cederberg mountains – make rooibos.
