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There’s a spring in everyone’s step, the bees start buzzing, temperatures start rising and the rains are almost done. It’s that time of year again here in the Western Cape when the days eyes (Daisy’s) are abundant and there are so many more flowers.



Murphy (famous for his ‘law’) may be happy because this time last year the world was closed and the flowers bloomed amazingly. Unfortunately for most visitors longing to see our famous Blooming Desert, they could not get here to see the carpets of colour that were around. This year, though,  there's been quite a bit of rain throughout the area and it's been  another good year for the flowers. 



Clanwilliam is a central town where all the flower routes are reachable, and can be done in a day. Even in and around the town itself there are some amazing spots to see not just the daisies but lots of little flowers that get overlooked because they are not in abundance or are quite small. It is worth doing some of the trails in the area to get to see these small beauties as they are the hidden treasures.



At Simbavati Cederberg Ridge, even just on our property itself there are some walking/ hiking trails that can reveal some of these hidden gems, due to the different terrains and altitudes. This time of year one need not worry about high temperatures and can be out longer during the day to be able to admire these flowers.



Below I’ve put together a list of flowers that I enjoy seeing when out and about during the Spring flower time.



Bulbine praemorsa: Flowers from June – September, it’s average height is 40 – 60 cm







Lachenalia mutabillis: Flowers between July – September, only gets to about 10 – 45 cm







Pauridia capensis: Also known as the Peacock flower, flowers between July – October and gets to 10 – 30cm in height.







Moraea miniata: It flowers between August – September and grows to 15 – 60 cm







Ferraria variabilis: Not a big flower because it only gets up to 20 cm and flowers between August – November.







Disperis capensis: A very pretty and proud looking flower which grows to 50 cm and flowers between July – September







Oxalis purpurea: This one stays close to the ground and flowers from May – September. A common name is the Ground Dutchess Sorrel.







Leucospermum vestitum: One of the Pincushion family, the flower heads get to 50 – 70 mm in diameter and flowers between July – January.







Melianthus major: Quite a large prehistoric looking plant growing up to roughly 2 meters and flowers August – September.







Euryops speciosissimus: This is a special one because it’s found in a small stretch of the Western Cape and its common name is the Clanwilliam Daisy. It can get up to 2 meters in height and flowers between August – November.







I’ve been out and about and due to the rains we’ve had the flowers are coming out fast and furious. Hoping that this year we will get to share the flowers of the region with more people than last year and if you are in the area I hope you will keep an eye out for these ten.



Happy flower hunting!

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Cederberg

Cederberg Ridge

Experiences

Natural Wonder

Spring Flowers in the Cederberg

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The picturesque, though dilapidated mission station of Wupperthal was founded in the early 19th century. Yet it remains quiet and seemingly untouched by the 21st century. Indeed some villagers still travelling by donkey and cart. (Though you do see a fair few satellite dishes hanging from the old white-washed thatched cottages as well.)




Wupperthal Mission still remains the heart of a small subsistence-farming community. It is home to a local industry producing the famous velskoene which are traditional soft leather shoes. These are very comfortable and well worth a purchase.







Wuppethal also has another curious claim to fame. It has kept the old tradition of Rieldances alive. And so successfully that a troupe of rieldancers (see picture below) went to the USA and actually won the World Folk Dance competition a few years ago.
















It's a small village, so the journey TO the village, as much as the destination, is the adventure. Note that it takes approx 60 to 75 minutes (67km) to get to Wupperthal from Clanwilliam or Cederberg Ridge, through the folded mountains of the unique Tanqua-Karoo scenery.







Tips for Combining with Other Sights:







We recommend combining a visit to Wupperthal with the Sevilla rock art trail which is en route (allow 2½ to 3 hours for the walking trail).



Similarly during the flower season (August), you could add on a visit to Wupperthal to a visit to the Biedouw Valley, (as you pass through the Biedouw valley en route to Wupperthal.) It is only another 13km (or 12-15 minutes drive) on from the Bieudouw Valley turnoff.















Notes:
Wupperthal is not part of our excursions at Cederberg Ridge. So it can only be visited on a self-drive basis. The first 42km is tar (and takes 35 minutes or so.) The remaining road (26km or 25-30 minutes) is grave. It can be very corrugated (bumpy) in places. We strongly recommend an SUV-type vehicle.

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Cederberg Ridge

Community

Visit the remote Moravian mission village of Wupperthal

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Did you know that the Cederberg region of South Africa is the only place in the world where Rooibos tea is grown? Other countries (and even other areas in South Africa), have tried and failed, so it is rather unique in this regard!











Rooibos tea is one of the most important industries of this mountainous area with the tea being exported all over the world.



Countries which particularly love Rooibos tea include Germany, the USA and France. With the tea-loving Brits also importing significant quantities. 



So what is all the fuss?



What sets rooibos apart, besides its delicious taste, are its many health benefits… and there are plenty!



High in anti-oxidants – this aids in fighting cancer and other diseases, boosts the immune system and reduces aging (hooray!)



It is completely pure and natural as it contains no additives, preservatives or colourants.
Rooibos is naturally caffeine-free, and is considered a low tannin beverage



It’s for these reasons that you’ll find rooibos extracts being used in a lot of health and beauty products, from face cream to dietary supplements.







For the complete history of rooibos, check out this longer blog post. We give the history highlights here.



Our guests at Simbavati Cederberg Ridge are always intrigued by the fact that it is indigenous to the area.



Where it all began



The story of Rooibos started over 300 years ago when the indigenous bushmen of the area, the Khoisan, harvested the leaves from the Aspalathus Linearis plant. The leaves were used as herbal remedies for many ailments, and they loved for their delicious, aromatic taste.



And then in 1772, a European botanist Carl Thunberg observed the way this clever indigenous tribe climbed the mountains to find wild rooibos plants. His captivation with this practice revived a more widespread interest in the tea drink.



It is also worth noting that early Cape-Dutch settlers started drinking rooibos tea as a cheaper alternative to the very expensive black tea from Europe. That tea had to be imported by ship, so rooibos was a great substitute!



Fast forward 200 years to 1904 when Benjamin Ginsberg appeared on the scene. He was a young Russian immigrant, (often called the father of commercial Rooibos Tea), who joined his tea-trading father on the farm Rondegat in the Clanwilliam district of the Cederberg. Ginsberg had a fascination with the plant and began marketing the drink as a ‘Mountain Tea’ – a herbal alternative to tea.



But in 1930 Dr le Fras Nortier, the local doctor and amateur botanist, was the first to discovered the secret of germinating Rooibos seeds, and together with Olof Bergh, a commercial farmer, they started a new cultivation method



Soon the production of Rooibos began on a much larger scale along the slopes of the Cederberg mountain range.



Since then there have been many innovations, including using it in baby creams, developing green Rooibos tea and within making the very first tea espresso in the world. (So now you can have a Rooibos expresso or a Red Cappuccino.)



So how is Rooibos tea actually made?



Traditionally, the bunches of leaves were rolled into hessian bags and brought down from the mountain by donkeys. 



The leaves and fine stems were then chopped with axes and bruised with mallets before being left in heaps to ferment. Once fermented, the Rooibos was spread out to dry in the hot African sun, ready for use as a thirst-quenching drink.



In a way, not much has changed in this whole process, although the methods are now far more refined and mechanised.



Rooibos is typically harvested in the hot summer months of January to April.



Special machines collect the Rooibos, which is then delivered to the factory. Here it is graded according to length, colour, flavour and aroma. This guarantees a high quality across all grades suitable for packing into teabags or loose-leaf form.















The last step is the screening, blending and steam treatment, using state-of-the-art equipment. After all this, the finished product is packed in special bags or boxes ready for dispatch to customers all over the world, for further processing and blending.



Experience rooibos during your stay at Cederberg Ridge



Many guests at Cederberg Ridge have been charmed by the story of rooibos tea. So to give them the full rooibos experience, we offer our guests a guided rooibos tea farm tour that includes a tea tasting. We also have a variety of delicious rooibos teas to taste at the lodge and to purchase from our lodge shop. A stay at Simbavati Cederberg Ridge wouldn't be complete without it!

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Cederberg Ridge

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History & process of Rooibos tea farming