Namaqualand’s Miraculous Spring Flowers

Namaqualand is an arid region in Namibia and South Africa, extending along the west coast over 600 miles and covering a total area of 170,000 square miles. During the arid summer months, it’s as dry as a desert, however in the spring a miracle happens. As the rains soak into the thirsty earth, millions upon millions of flowers emerge in a phenomenal explosion of colour which transforms the landscape into a wonderland of beauty. This is known throughout South Africa as the Namaqualand daisy season, when orange and white daisies, as well as hundreds of other flowering species, spring up from a previously barren landscape.

The riot of flowers is a highly volatile exhibition occurring between August and October on most years. The flower display depends on whether the rains have been good that season, as the dormant seeds lie in the dry earth for months waiting for rain. Every year between brings a different formula, and a different selection of flowers. Approximately 4000 species of plants bloom in the region and an estimated one-forth of the species are found nowhere else on earth.

Namaqualand in summer, quite the opposite from the beautiful flower beds. Photo credit

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4. Photo credit: Martin Heigan