I was walking the Fynbos Trail on Flower Valley last week and came across these spectacular Gladiolus overbergensis in full flower. This rare Gladiolus is thought to be pollinated by sun birds and is retricted to the range of low mountains between Stanford and Gansbaai and is only seen flowering in the spring following a burn.
The only previous time I have seen this beauty was in spring following the massive wild fire of 2006 when it bloomed in profusion on the upper sandstone slopes of Grootbos and Flower Valley. Having made a spectacular appearance for one month it went dormant, awaiting the next fire. Below is a beautiful photo taken by Heiner Lutzeyer in September 2006.
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