Pride of Table Mountain

Did you know

• Disa uniflora is the iconic flower of South Africa's Western Cape — it is the floral emblem of the Western Cape Province and of the city of Cape Town, and appears on the provincial coat of arms.
• The fiery red flowers grow beside mountain streams on the slopes of Table Mountain, where their primary pollinator is the Mountain Pride butterfly (Aeropetes tulbaghia), attracted by the red color.
• The flowers are architecturally complex — what appears to be three large red petals are actually sepals, with the true petals reduced to tiny structures inside the hood sepal.
• Cultivating Disa uniflora outside its native habitat is notoriously difficult; it requires cold, pure, fast-moving water at the roots and extremely well-drained conditions mimicking the rocky stream margins where it naturally grows.
• Extensive breeding programs in South Africa have produced hybrid disas in colors from pure white to deep purple, yellow, and orange, and these cultivated forms are now grown by specialist orchid growers worldwide.

Color meanings

Uses

• ornamental
• conservation icon
• cut flower