Pink Western Keurboom
on 7th March 2011
The Keurboom species are a problem in that most people ignore the variation and plant them anywhere. This appears to be the indigenous form to Orangekloof although the flowers are large.
The Western Keurboom (oroboides), which is indigenous to the Peninsula, has large brown bracts that persist until the pale pink flowers open, and hairy leaves. The Eastern Keurboom (divaricata) has small bracts that drop off long before the dark purple flowers open, and leaves only lightly hairy below with a more rounded tip. There is an eastern form of oroboides (subsp. ferruginea - Rusty Western Keurboom) with rusty (not white) hairs under the leaf, and rose-violet or violet-purple flowers. Because of the plantings - especially by old foresters who wanted to "improve" size and colour - it is often very difficult to know if one has a hybrid or not, especially in areas once under plantations. This plant seems a good Virgilia oroboides subsp. oroboides.