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Plants in the restio family are becoming popular with gardeners in the Pacific Northwest. They fill the same niche in
the Cape ecosystem as grasses and rushes do here.
Below are photos
of restios from my trip. I'll identify them where I can. Identifying restios can be the work of a lifetime, so I rely on the
advice of others and my reference books. Restios are dioecious (separate male and female plants) and their juvenile foliage
is different from that of mature plants, two factors that make identifying restios challenging for the average gardener.
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| A tall specimen is in the fynbos garden at Kirstenbosch. |
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| A rush-like restio species in cultivation. |
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| This restio displays the lovely bracts characteristic of Elegia capensis. |
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| Restios can be wiry, like rushes, or have great feathery plumes. Possibly Rhodocoma capensis. |
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| Another large stand, this one is Ischyrolepis subverticellata. |
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| Some restios look remarkably like ornamental grasses. |
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| A mass planting featuring different species/textures. |
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| Someday, maybe I'll see this at a Seattle nursery. A selection of restio plants for sale. |
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| Chondropetalum tectorum and Thamnochortus insignis are two restio species used as roof thatching. |
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Fynbos, home to the restios, is characterized by seasonal fires. Like other plants in this ecosystem, restios have adapted
different strategies for surviving fire. Some are able to resprout from underground rhizomes. For others, fire is necessary
for seed germination. This poses a challenge for gardeners attempting to grow restios from seed. It was long believed that
the heat of fire triggered germination but it is now known that it is chemicals in the smoke that are needed for seed to initiate
growth. Kirstenbosch sells "Smoke Plus," a primer that contains the necessary ingredients for pre-treating restio seed. Or,
gardeners can build a tent over seed trays, build a small fire, and expose seeds in this manner.
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Only a few restio species are reliably hard in the Pacific Northwest. I've had good luck with Elegia capensis and Chondropetalum
tectorum in my garden.
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