Fynbos

• Fynbos is a type of vegetation that occurs exclusively in the south-western area of the Western Cape
• Fynbos consists of evergreen shrubs with tough leaves and is divided into three main groups:

  • reeds (restios)
  • ericas
  • proteas
• Fynbos grows in sandy, acid, leached soil with very low levels of nutrients
• The fynbos biome includes more than 7 000 flowering plant species and is one of the richest floral regions in the world
• A large number of plant species in the fynbos are endemic
• Fynbos is endemic as it has particularly unique features and it is characteristic of a particular region