Cape Town pea

Otholobium bracteolatum

Scientific name

The Cape Town pea is a ground-hugging shrub from the pea family, that forms a mat across the ground and flowering in spring. It survives fires by resprouting from its roots and prefers acid soil.

Not to be confused with its more common relative O. bracteolatum (Skaapbostee), the Cape Town pea occurs only within the Cape Peninsula, now largely restricted to Table Mountain.

"Grow Otholobium fruticans in full sun to semi shade, in well-drained, acidic soils. Feed with well-rotted compost applied as a mulch and if using chemical fertilizers, it is preferable to use a slow-release fertilizer or apply very low doses."

Propagation instructions

By seed

Sow seed in late summer to autumn (March to May), treating the seed with smoke extract should increase the number of seedlings, and treating with fungicide to combat pre- and post-emergence damping off will increase the number of surviving seedlings. Pot up into a sandy, acidic soil medium suitable for fynbos plants.

By cutting

It may propagated from cuttings taken from new growth of the plant, and treated with a rooting hormone suitable for softwood cuttings.

References and further reading

PlantZAfrica profile »