After Namibia faced a dreadful drought in 2019, 2020 brought good rains, and a spectacular bloom of lilies in 2021 on the Sandhof Farm just 40km outside the town of Maltahohe in southern Namibia.
Credit: Hoekus van Niekerk
The Crinum paludosum, commonly known as bushveld vlei lilies, only bloom in marshy areas and last for six to seven days before they change colour from pink to white, and then wither.
These lilies have a long flower stalk and are pale pink with a darker pink keel. They only open up fully at midday; they have a slightly sweet scent and you can expect to see them in December and January.
Credit: Garth Davies
The lilies need a good amount of rainfall to flower – about 30cm of water on the clay pan. 2020 was the first time they bloomed in three years and according to Mark Morgan, the owner of the farm, the blooming of these lilies brought about 2,000 visitors to the farm.
‘We received visitors from Germany, South Africa, Belgium, and the United Kindom. We opened for the whole week from sunrise to sunset. About two-thirds of the visitors were tourists while the remaining were locals,’ said Morgan.
Credit: Helene Harmse
Credit: Helene Harmse
In January this year the lilies made a return and bloomed yet again bringing in a parade of visitors to witness their beauty. Visitors received a very warm welcome from the Morgan family upon arrival.
In the Facebook group Farm Sandhof Lilies, visitors posted their photos and captioned them with beautiful messages showing gratitude and thanking the farm for sharing such a beautiful experience.
According to the South African National Biodiversity (SANBI), these lilies can be found in Botswana and in marshy places from northern KwaZulu Natal to Limpopo in South Africa.
Credit: Helene Harmse
By Zimasa Katamzi and Anita Froneman
