Kingdom Plantae Family Ericaceae Scientific name Erica margaritacea | Order Ericales Genus Erica Rank Species | |
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Similar Erica turgida, Erica urna‑viridis, Erica hirtiflora, Erica capensis, Erica pyramidalis | ||
Erica margaritacea (or the pearl heath) is a species of Erica that was naturally restricted to the city of Cape Town.
Historically, this Erica grew naturally in the Cape Flats Sand Fynbos of the Southern Suburbs, Cape Town. However, urban development caused it to go extinct in the wild. Specimens that were preserved by Botanists were used to reintroduce this species to the last remaining patch of its habitat, the Kenilworth Racecourse Conservation Area.
It produces enormous amounts of white, pearl-shaped flowers and can readily be cultivated in urban gardens.
References
Erica margaritacea Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA