The beautiful Arum lillies of Table

 Mountain

A common sight at the traffic lights of Cape Town are the flower sellers, with arms full of the striking Arum Lilly. Easily recognized by its large white flower the Arm Lilly belongs to neither the Arum, nor the Lillia genus. It belongs to the family Araceae and the genus zantedeschia. The genus is restricted to the African continent where 7 different species are recognized.
The common white Arum is widespread throughout South Africa in marshy areas. The plant is able to change its lifecycle depending on habitat. In the Western Cape it is generally dormant in winter.
Flowering in early August and throughout the early summer it adds much beauty to the marshy areas of Table mountain.

The rare Arum frog makes its home in the Arum lilly flower. Although widespread throughout the South and Southwestern Cape, the frog is endangered through the loss of habitat. The main loss occurs through urbanization, although the uncontrolled picking of the Arum lilly must also effect their distribution.

The photo below was taken on the Constantia Greenbelt. On the lower slopes of Table Mountain.

See the Arum Lilly in its natural setting on a guided hike with Ridgway Ramblers