A flower that was once extinct in the wild is now thriving again within Table Mountain National Park, thanks to a collaborative effort involving citizen scientists, horticulturists, and botanical gardens from around the world.
Table Mountain National Park, which extends south along a peninsula from Table Mountain, is recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot. A newly updated checklist, published in 2025, has recorded an astonishing 2,785 plant species within the park’s approximately 250 square kilometre area.
Among those species is Erica verticillata, a flower that had vanished from its natural habitat. Today, it is flourishing again in Tokai Park, a section of the reserve.
Jean Stevenson, a citizen scientist who contributed to the new checklist, noted the flower’s rare and limited distribution. “It is really limited to a few square kilometres in the whole world, and we’re very privileged to have it close by,” Stevenson said. “We can come and look at it and see how the populations are doing. Although it isn’t threatened, it is still got a rare status.”
The recovery of Erica verticillata was made possible through painstaking restoration work. Trevor Adams and colleagues led efforts to bring the species back from extinction.
“We found various clones in other botanical gardens throughout the world,” Adams explained. “Those were brought back by cutting material to Kirstenbosch. It was then a task to us horticulturists and nursery staff to propagate these plants. And this all culminated in us planting three of these clones back here in Lower Tokai Park.”
Beyond its scientific significance, Table Mountain National Park remains a popular destination for Capetonians seeking exercise and relaxation. “It’s obviously a spectacular environment to walk in,” one park visitor said. “There is a magnificent diversity. There’s a wide variety of colours around here. There’s some beautiful proteas that we just stopped and admired just now.”
The park’s World Heritage Site status is in recognition that it is one of the world’s great centres of terrestrial biodiversity, offering both rare wildlife and easy access for local hikers and walkers.