Come with OTC Adventures on a Skeleton Gorge hike up to the top of Table Mountain and along the old Disa Ravine near the aquaduct, and see these beautiful Red Disa’s in full bloom.
Where
Hiking Table Mountain in the months of January/February you are able to see this beautiful Red Disa on the mountain. It grows particularly near waterfalls and streams. After a fire on the mountain, you will see the Disa’s emerging from the burnt ground. Fynbos needs fire to regenerate.
A SANParks Ecologist said after the 2015 fires on Table Mountain: “You think its devastation, but that isn’t the case. This is cleaning the palate before nature can start painting again”.
What
Disa uniflora is a species of orchid. It is also referred to as the Red Disa, the Pride of Table Mountain. It is common on Table Mountain, and the Back Table, but is rarely seen further south on the Cape Peninsula
How
Its pollinati
on is one of the most complex of all the orchids, involving the Mountain Pride Butterfly. This beautiful butterfly (Aeropetes tulbaghia) is a lifesaver. It is the only insect to pollinate the Red Orchid found on Table Mountain, so is key to the survival of this plant species.
