Kommetjie is a small village with a grand natural heritage – let’s all protect it
Kommetjie’s natural heritage is remarkably rich. Conservationist Adam Welz told a recent KRRA heritage gathering that the area supports an extraordinary diversity of plant life, much of which is increasingly squeezed by urban development.
Adam has recorded 1,155 plant species within a three-kilometre radius of Kommetjie, using the iNaturalist app with other local observers. “We have more plants than some entire countries have in just this area,” he said.
On one patch of land on Skilpadsvlei, which is zoned for a high school, Adam recorded 85 species of flowers in an area of roughly 20–30 metres, with another 50 or so along the nearby path. Several are endangered.
The patch is under pressure from development and the spread of kikuyu grass, an invasive grass introduced as lawns. Adam said it has already spread across hundreds of square metres and could threaten the remaining plants if it is not addressed.
He also highlighted the loss of vegetation due to the development of the Protea Ridge estate. He described the site as one of the best remaining areas of lowland fynbos on the Cape Peninsula. He estimated that it contained around 300 plant species, including 18 red-listed species, before being cleared for development.
For Adam, protecting Kommetjie’s natural heritage means changing the way we look at the landscape. “I really encourage you to start paying attention, start looking around.”
He urged residents to respect remaining natural patches, avoid trampling plants and bulbs, manage areas better, clear invasive species where appropriate and consider growing indigenous plants in their gardens.
“People take these things for granted,” he said. “And we need to start growing them in our yards. We need to start managing the patches that remain a heck of a lot better.”
Kommetjie biodiversity: interesting facts
1,155 plant species have been recorded within a three-kilometre radius of Kommetjie.
A tiny patch near the planned high-school site contains 85 recorded flower species, including several endangered species.
The wider area contains a pocket of sandy habitat that supports some plants more commonly associated with the West Coast.
Fynbos is a naturally treeless, highly diverse ecosystem, rather than a landscape that needs trees to be planted everywhere.
Adam said some bulbs in the area may be around 100 years old, while some rescued bulbs from the Protea Ridge site were even older.
Watsonia bulbs were an important carbohydrate source for early humans, with archaeological evidence of their use dating back around 300,000 years.
The Cape Peninsula’s plants have provided food and medicinal resources for people living in the landscape for thousands of years.
Within the City of Cape Town, Adam said there are around 3,400 indigenous plant species.
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