RETZIA CAPENSIS

Heuningblom; Sigaretbos (Afr.)

Butt bush; Hedgehogs (Eng.)

Family: Stilbaceae

INTRO

So why would some people call this a “butt bush?" Ha—got you. Not quite what you might think.

Its flowers resemble cigarette butts, though they carry a surprisingly sweet, honey-like scent.

DESCRIPTION

Retzia capensis is one of the more unusual shrubs of the fynbos. Its tubular flowers feel silky to the touch—red to orange with black lobes, tipped with delicate tufts of white hairs, resembling the ash of a cigarette butt.

The plant is densely covered in fine, needle-like leaves, almost reminiscent of a pine, adding to its rather eccentric charm.

DISTRIBUTION & HABITAT

In the Rooiels area, it is found near the Klein Rooiels properties, as well as in the surrounding mountains. It also occurs more widely in the Hangklip and Kogelberg mountain ranges.

POLLINATION

Retzia capensis produces copious amounts of honey-scented nectar, attracting sunbirds as its primary pollinators.

The energetic Orange-breasted Sunbird, with its vivid orange and red colouring, is often seen moving between the flowers—an elegant example of the close relationship between plant and pollinator.

FIRE & REGENERATION

Retzia capensis is a resprouter, with a fire-resistant rootstock and stem just beneath the soil. Within weeks of a fire, new growth emerges, often followed by a striking display of flowers in the first spring.

Seeds, sometimes buried by ants, germinate after the intense heat of fire, aided by the winter rains.

STATUS

Although Retzia capensis has a relatively restricted distribution, it is locally common and classified as Least Concern.

Find out more on iNaturalist