- The West Coast National Park’s wildflower bloom, featuring 482 plant species, attracts thousands of visitors in August and September.
- The tourist influx during flower season significantly boosts local businesses.
- For the best flower viewing, tourists should visit the park from 10:00 on sunny days as flowers do not bloom in rainy or overcast conditions.
For two months in the year, Vincent Van Gogh’s Field With Flowers painting comes to life in the Western Cape.
“There’s a plethora of colours. You’ve got the whites, you’ve got the yellows, you’ve got the reds. It’s just an awesome display,” Bill Jackson told News24.
He was visiting the West Coast National Park with his friends and started their road trip in their home city, Pietermaritzburg.
“It’s the first time that we’ve been to this part of the world … this has been lovely,” he said.
Starting in August, the park bursts into an array of colour, bringing with it a landscape of flowering fynbos and veld.
The wildflowers that bloom in the West Coast National Park are a display of around 482 plant species.
West Coast National Park manager Charlene Adams said the most dominant species were Suurvy, Elandsvy, Gousblom, Bokbaai vygie, White rain daisy, Magriet and Soetuintjie.
A variety of flower species stretch across colourful fields. (Chelsea Ogilvie/ News24)
The best time to see these flowers is when the sun is out because flowers need sunlight to blossom.
On rainy and overcast days, the flowers hide their heads.
The more, the merrier
“During the flower season from August, it’s just amazing. You get these huge amounts of tourists. And the volume and the energy is nice,” Frits van Ryneveld told News24.
He is the founder of Darling Sweet, a shop that sells sugary treats in Darling.
“When the flowers come out, people from all over the world are here.”
The flower season isn’t only great for the landscapes, but it’s great for business. Sales at Darling Sweet can increase tenfold.
“We are from Pretoria. We are two friends travelling together. It’s the first time that I am seeing all the flowers,” Amanda von Kloèg told News24.
“It’s heavenly and divine, photos don’t show 10 percent what you really actually see and experience.”
Hikers Paul Whitehouse and Nikki Muromedzi. (Chelsea Ogilvie/ News24)
When she told family and friends that she’d be travelling along the West Coast, they said Darling Sweet was a must-visit.
And the shop didn’t disappoint.
“We actually travelled 3 000-plus kilometres to come and buy some toffees,” she said with a giggle and a bag of treats in her hand.