Witsenia maura
Image: C. Merry
Description
This plant is one of the most striking woody iris shrubs; very different from the familiar herbaceous genera such as the Iris and Gladiolus, but equally beautiful. It grows in marshy conditions.Pollinators include sunbirds and sugarbirds that enjoy nectar with 11-13% sugar content.
This plant is not easily cultivated, even if planted in the same soil type and in marshy conditions. It is not readily available commercially and is therefore very important to conserve the existing Fynbos plant communities where this plant occurs naturally.
Sources and references
Scientific name
Witsenia maura
Common name(s)
Bokmakierie's tail