Loxostylis alata, (SA Tree List No. 365), commonly known as tarwood, can be a spectacular sight when in bloom! This picture was taken in March in Kirstenbosch. The normal season for flowering of this species is given as September to January (Coates Palgrave, 2002). But Kirstenbosch is not the natural habitat for tarwood. And the Cape Peninsula rainy season differs from that of the Eastern Cape and Kwazulu-Natal.

When a plant is grown in a different environment to its natural distribution area, various outcomes should expected. One may be that it will not grow at all or needs special care to cope. Others may entail that the introduced plant becomes an invader, has a different growth form or follows another growth cycle.

Climate variation that is upon us (now and in the past), causes plants to respond in unexpected ways in habitat as well. As your children sometimes do, your plants may surprise you too!