22. AFRICA

To our great surprise we can cultivate some African plants all year around outdoor in Tromsø.

Middagsblomsteren/the ice plant Delosperma basuticum

To our great surprise we can cultivate some African plants all year around outdoor in Tromsø. These originate from South Africa, and the small kingdom of Lesotho, surrounded by South Africa on all sides. In addition, here are plants from Morocco. However, all these plants are from high mountains. The Moroccan plants are from genera we know from Europe, such as the poppy Papaver atlanticum. South Africa, however, has been geologically and climatically stable and isolated very long, and has developed an exceptionally high and exclusive biodiversity. The small area around Cape Town is one of the world’s six floral kingdoms.

Our collection includes e.g. the ice plant Delosperma basuticum, the pink twinspur Diascia anastrepta and the blue and yellow composite genus Felicia. Some colourful annuals need to be replanted every year unless they self-seed.

The yellow-flowered cushion plant Draba atlantica from Morocco was the first species to flower in the Garden during the summer of 2013.