Last updated September 2023
Cape Town’s spectacular flower season sends blankets of blooms across the nature reserves of the Western Cape from August to late September.
Here is your guide to experiencing the splendor, starting with these flower hotspots.
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
The Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is Cape Town’s claim to botanical fame. Set on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, the garden is both easily accessible and picturesque. Take a specialised tour with a guide around the garden to get the most out of your visit (the tour lasts about two hours). Don’t forget to visit the Centenary Tree Canopy Walkway or “Boomslang”.
Website: www.sanbi.org/gardens/kirstenbosch
Elgin Open Garden
An utterly luxuriant display of more than 10,000 blooms is on show annually at the Elgin Grabouw Country Club. The open garden also features craft stalls, beer gardens, delicious farm style lunches, a magic garden for kids, and phenomenal views of this abundantly decorated valley with its forests, fynbos, and apple orchards.
Website: www.elginopengardens.co.za
Darling Wildflower Show
The concentrated beauty of 1,200 species of flora occurs in the quaint little town of Darling. What better way to see the bounty of nature than in one of the most renowned flower season towns in the Cape? Eighty of these species are endemic to the Western Cape, so you won’t find them anywhere else on earth.
Website: www.darlingwildflowers.co.za
Harold Porter National Botanical Garden
Set between mountains and the ocean, this tranquil park is the quintessential Western Cape Garden. In addition to the diverse and pristine cornucopia of fynbos, you’ll also find beautiful trails, wonderful waterfalls, and amber-coloured pools in the garden.
Website: www.sanbi.org/gardens/harold-porter
West Coast National Park
Every year, the West Coast National Park bursts into colour, as its incredible wildflowers blanket entire landscapes. Official flower season is from 1 August until 30 September, when the protected area of Postberg within the Park is open to the public.
Website: www.sanparks.org/parks/west_coast
Hermanus Flower Festival
You can actually take flowers home with you from the Hermanus Flower Festival, where hundreds of locally grown blooms are on sale, and on exhibition. There is also an educational and historical journey documenting the story of plants in the area. With over 400 fynbos species, 10 landscaped demonstration gardens, and a herd of alpacas, there’s plenty to see. You can even learn how to design your own land art sculpture.
Website: www.fernkloof.com
Hopefield Fynbos Show
The Hopefield Fynbos Show displays the wealth of over 500 species of fynbos, as well as the pretty spring daisies that appear after winter rains during August and September. The food stalls specialise in the traditional waterblommetjiebredie (literally translated as “little water-flower stew”). There’s also a beer garden, an animal petting area, and lots of family-friendly fun.
Website: www.hopefieldfynbos.co.za
Bontebok National Park
The Cape Floral Kingdom is world-renowned as one of the most biologically diverse areas on earth; the Bontebok National Park is a jewel in its crown. Explore during flower season and experience some of the most astonishingly beautiful flower formations in the world.
Website: www.sanparks.org/parks/bontebok
Agulhas National Park
With as much diversity as a tropical rain forest, the Agulhas Plain is an immensely abundant natural reserve. It is home to over 2,000 species of indigenous plants including 100 that are endemic to the area.
Website: www.sanparks.org/parks/agulhas
