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Thriving on poor nutrient acid soil they take nitrogen from the air rather than the ground. Under such stress they have developed a remarkable diversity, which against all odds is highly floral and incredibly varied. Largest of the Fynbos are the Protea bushes whose stunning fist-sized flowers glow like min suns. Perched on these orange orbs are long-tailed Cape Sugarbird cracking the air with agitated chirping and competing loudly with the highly excited chatter of the brilliant iridescent green and red Sunbirds. Nearer the ground the hardy sandstone loving Erica's flower in millions of tiny purples, reds and blues. A pure white bush in the centre provides a stunning contrast. There are over 800 types of Erica in the Cape while only 23 species are found in Europe. Warts 'n AllSuch diversity makes Kirstenbosh Gardens one of the most popular places to visit in Cape Town and is on most tourist itineraries. Don't forget to sample, sniff and touch as you walk around and while you are there you can cure your earache, headache, varicose veins, worms, warts 'n all! The author of this article is Carrie Hampton and she can be contacted on email: carrieh@iafrica.com Copyright © 2002 Carrie Hampton. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of the author is prohibited. | 
