Another view of the spectacular Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens. September is springtime in South Africa, so the colors are out. But what we’re focusing on here instead are the succulents. South Africa is home to no less than a third of all succulent species.
One of the more famous South African succulents in California is the Carpobrotus edulis, a.k.a. the ice plant. It was first brought to California in the early 1900’s to stabilize soil around railway beds, then Caltrans started using it for highways. The plant is an alien invasive nightmare that can grow to 165 cm in diameter. It has taken over whole Mediterranean coastlines. It gets worse. In the grossest example of invasive mutualism I can think of, the feces of the black rat helps spread the plant, and the ice plants serve as a food source for the invading rats.
Of course, other South African succulents, like the Tree Aloe, give us happier things like soothing lotion. And even the dreaded ice plant has provided fruit for many a hungry baboon, or tasty leaves for a famished tortoise.
