The Cape Floral Kingdom is the smallest plant kingdom in the world, but is incredibly rich and diverse. There are more plant species on the Cape Peninsula, for example, than can be found in the whole of the British Isles!

We owe this special 'Kingdom' status to the presence of fynbos, a mountain and lowland vegetation type which takes its name from the early Dutch settlers. A bit put out at the shortage of timber and fodder evident in the landscape, they described the shrubland around them as 'fijnbosch' ('fine bush') - from which the term 'fynbos' evolved. Although the fynbos covers only half of the Kingdom's area, it contributes more than three-quarters of the plant species found there.

Many of the plants are unique to small geographical areas. These species have a precarious existence, facing the threats of extensive farming, too frequent fires, over-harvesting (by collectors and herbalists for example), invasive alien vegetation and encroaching human development. Many of these 'endemics' are listed as 'Red Data Species' (endangered). A major project to rid the Cape of thirsty alien plants (the Working for Water programme) was introduced which is helping to preserve the fynbos.

There is also much more knowledge now than existed a few years ago about the need to plant indigenous gardens. These need less water and don't carry the risk of spreading alien seed into the environment. Local plants also attract a greater diversity of bird-life.

The Cape's original inhabitants (the Khoi and San peoples) relied heavily upon the indigenous vegetation for food, medicine and building materials (particularly the 'reeds' of the Restio family) and to make weapons such as poison arrows. Early European settlers and botanists, who provided written documentation of the flora for the first time, learnt much from those who had been making use of Cape plants for centuries. The medicinal value of fynbos has, however, yet to be fully explored - this unique vegetation may well hold cures for many of today's ailments.