October’s indigenous gem (in the KZN Biodiversity Calendar 2025) is Kraussia Floribuna.
Known in English as the rhino-coffee on account of its black berries and the fact that rhinos like to eat it, and in Latin named after the botanist who added it to European lists (Krauss), October’s indigenous gem also has a couple of delightful Zulu names that refer to the flowers – isiKhubashane (little one) and uTholomba (bride). This beautiful large evergreen shrub bears long clusters of dainty, fragrant creamy-white flowers from October to January, making it perfect for summer garden weddings and possibly explaining the isiZulu names. The flowers are replaced by sweet purplish-black berries by late January, attracting an abundance of birds and other wildlife until May.
It’s a hardy plant, able to live happily in various habitats including marshes, forests and grasslands. Its full size will depend largely on its growing environment. It likes well-draining soil, and will grow in semi-shade or full sun, and even in pots.
The flowers attract many insect pollinators, especially flies, bees, butterflies, wasps and beetles (nectar and scent draw them in). It is reported as a host plant for certain moth larvae (such as the Pellucid Hawk Moth). The fruits are sweet and eaten by birds and mammals (including monkeys) – and also some people, who make jam from them.
Rhino-coffee is a fantastic garden plant, safe for kids and animals, wonderfully fragrant and pretty. It makes a good living hedge, providing dense growth for screening as well as a nice distraction food source for birds and monkeys.
The Green Net’s Biodiversity Calendar provides information that supports South Coast residents in making informed choices about which plants to put into the ground, which to remove and why. We are in the process of compiling edition four for 2026.
Contact Joan on 083 2667953, if you would like to sponsor a calendar page or pre-order calendars.
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