Erica galpinii
Introduction
In the sandstone fynbos of the Kleinrivier Mountains in the Overberg region in the Western Cape lies a rare, long-lived, slow growing reseeder known as Erica galpinii, showing off its vibrant, striking sulphur-yellow tubular flowers in autumn and winter.
Description
Description
Erica galpinii is an erect shrub that grows up to 1 m tall, with the potential to grow up to 1.8 m if not disturbed by fires. Leaves are grey-green, forming a dense cover on the branches. Flowers are large, bright yellow, with a long tubular shape, stalkless, in clusters, on hairy stems. The anthers are awned. Flowering is in autumn and winter, from April to June.
Conservation Status
Status
Erica galpinii is assessed as Endangered (EN) by the Red List of South African Plants. The last assessment, that was done on 30 April 2008, noted a signficant decrease in the population of the species, caused by too frequent mountain fires. Furthermore, the species is localized with a limited distribution, and is only found in two locations in the Kleinrivier Mountains near Hermanus, which makes it a rare species.
In the 1980s the population in Fernkloof Nature Reserve consisted of ±700 mature individuals, but after severe fires swept through the area, only one plant could be found in 2000. According to the 2007 reports, an estimated ±200 mature individuals occurred in this subpopulation, thus the subpopulation in the Fernkloof Nature Reserve had declined by more than 50% in two generations, due to too frequent fires, the area had burned four times within 20 years. The size of the second subpopulation at Maanskynkop is unknown as no plants were found by the assessors, but unconfirmed reports attest that there are plants still occurring there, and it is thus suspected to be small. The current estimated population size for this species is fewer than 450 mature individuals with an area of occurrence of less than 4 km².
Distribution and habitat
Distribution description
Erica galpinii is endemic to the Kleinrivier Mountains near Hermanus in the Overberg region of the Western Cape. It is found in the Fernkloof Nature Reserve and on Maanskynkop, growing in sandstone fynbos, on south-facing, middle, rocky slopes at high altitude, with moist, cool conditions.
Derivation of name and historical aspects
History
Erica galpinii was first collected on Maanskynkop in 1934 by Ernest Edward Galpin (1858–1943) and named after him. He was a South African banker and amateur botanist, called ‘prince of collectors’ by General Jan Smuts , with a contribution of 16 000 sheets of specimens to the National Herbarium and about 200 new species.
The genus Erica comprises of ±860 species, with ±680 species occurring in the South African Cape Floristic Region (CFR), within that number ±300 species are found in the Overberg region with about 135 species occurring in Kogelberg of which quite a few are endemic to the area.
Ecology
Ecology
Ericas are well adapted to CFR climatic conditions and frequent fires. They are able to survive the cool, rainy winters and hot, dry summers, in poor, low-nutrient soils associated with sandstones thanks to their small, fine leaves and their sensitive roots. Reseeding and resprouting adaptive traits have made it easier for them to survive the fire-prone nature of the CFR over time. Erica galpinii is a reseeder, meaning that the plant is killed by a fire and the population regenerates from seeds stored in the soil. However, if another fire sweeps through the population too soon after the previous one, it does not allow the plants sufficient time to grow, flower and produce seeds to regenerate their seed bank, and thus fewer plants will reappear after the second fire.
The genus Erica is well known for its species diversity, with close to 700 species in the CFR, and the ericas of the Fynbos are renowned for the extraordinary diversity of size, shape and colour of their flowers, which attract a wide variety of different pollinators including sunbirds, honeybees, butterflies and other insects and some of them make use of the wind. Among those pollinators are long-beaked, nectar-feeding sunbirds that play an important pollination role, they pollinate the species of Erica with long-tubed, brightly coloured flowers, like those of Erica galpinii. Other pollinators struggle to reach the nectar at the base of the floral tube.
Uses
Use
Erica galpinii holds no medicinal or cultural properties but it has horticultural appeal and it can be cultivated in a garden, where it will add interest to the flowerbeds by providing colour as well as attracting sunbirds and interesting insects to the garden.
Growing Erica galpinii
Grow
Erica galpinii can be propagated by seeds and cuttings and planted out in the garden. It is best suited where the soils are acidic, poor in nutrients with good drainage, even better if incorporated with soil derived from sandstone, and ideally suited to mountain fynbos gardens. It can be hardy if planted in the right conditions where it receives full sun with cool, moist conditions. If looking to achieve long term colour in the garden, as well as to attract birds and interesting insects to the garden, plant ericas. To ensure that they thrive, plant in autumn when the temperatures start to cool and the first rains of the season fall, this allows them to settle in and grow strong during the rainy winter, and they are thus able to survive the hot, dry summer conditions. To achieve best flowering and growth habit, prune annually after flowering, preferably a light pruning. To achieve the best naturalistic garden, plant ericas together with companion plants like proteas, pincushions, serrurias, restios, helichrysums, buchus and retzia, which need similar growing conditions.
Even though there are no records of the propagation of Erica galpinii, it can be propagated by seeds or cuttings. Collect seeds that are healthy, disease-free and viable, and sow them in autumn, in a well-drained seedling mix suitable for fynbos. To achieve a moderate to high germination rate, perform smoke treatment on the seeds and give it two months or so to germinate.
For cuttings, collect semi-hardwood cuttings from healthy plants, treat with rooting hormone and place in well-drained growing medium, preferably a mixture of fine-milled bark mixed with perlite at a ratio of 1:1 and place them in a controlled mist environment with bottom hating of ±24°c. Once rooted, pot them up into a suitable potting mix which is well-drained and acidic with pH of 5.5-6.7 and harden off in light shade for a month or two. When ready, plant out in the garden and ensure not to disturb the roots.
If well taken care of, pest and fungal control should not be a problem.
References
- Baker, H.A. & Oliver, E.G.H. 1967. Ericas in southern Africa. Purnell & Sons, Cape Town.
- Burman, L. 2007-May. Observation of Erica galpinii. iNaturalist. Online. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/110836495.
- Duncan, G. n.d. Ericas – simply irresistible. The Gardener. Online. https://www.thegardener.co.za/the-gardener/ee/simply-irresistible/. Accessed on 2025/02/07.
- Ericas in the Hangklip region. 2021. Produced by Pringle Bay Fynbos group.
- Fernkloof Nature Reserve. Erica galpinii. https://www.fernkloof.org.za/index.php/all-plants/plant-families/item/erica-galpinii. Accessed on 2025/02/07.
- Goldblatt, P. & Manning, J. 2000. Cape Plants. A conspectus of the Cape flora of South Africa. Strelitzia 9. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria & Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri.
- Helme, N. & Manning, J. 2024. Ericas of the Fynbos. Published by Struik Nature.
- Heymann, P.W. 2024-Apr. Observation of Erica galpinii. iNaturalist. Online. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/211362394.
- Life is a Garden. All about ericas. https://www.lifeisagarden.co.za/all-about-ericas/. Accessed on 2025/02/07.
- Oliver, E.G.H. & Oliver, I.M. 2005. The genus Erica (Ericaceae) in southern Africa: taxonomic notes 1. Bothalia 32: 46.
- Schumann, D., Kirsten, G. & Oliver, E.G.H. 1992. Ericas of South Africa. Fernwood Press, Vlaeberg.
- Silberblatt, D. 2024-Apr. Observation of Erica galpinii. iNaturalist. Online. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/212287219.
- Stodels. All about ericas. https://www.stodels.com/growing-ericas/?srsltid=AfmBOooO-XY9A8QC5hHDc0y8mSNmsgKqWKsXGhJ0ZUhNnVgHAvD9QPHx. Accessed on 2025/02/07.
- Turner, R.C. & Von Staden, L. 2008. Erica galpinii T.M.Salter. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants. http://redlist.sanbi.org/species.php?species=1820-368.
Credits
Caroline Marima
Harold Porter National Botanical Garden
March 2025
Acknowledgements: images by Derek Silberblatt, Lee Burman and Pieter Heymann from their observations on iNaturalist.
Plant Attributes:
Plant Type: Shrub
SA Distribution: Western Cape
Soil type: Sandy
Flowering season: Autumn, Winter
PH: Acid
Flower colour: Yellow
Aspect: Full Sun, Morning Sun (Semi Shade)
Gardening skill: Challenging
Special Features:
Attracts birds
Good potplant
Feeds honeybees
Horticultural zones
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