Fynbos Abstracted: An Exploration of Houseplants from South Africa’s Floral Kingdom
The South African fynbos is an ecology like no other. It is the most floristically diverse ecosystem on the planet and is dependent on fire for renewal. Many common houseplants are endemic to this extraordinary South African shrubland, including string of bananas, asparagus fern, pencil cactus, aloe, pelargoniums, heather, African daisies, and amaryllis. While these species are widely available at garden centers, they are rarely planted together indoors. This type of specimen-driven planting—one plant per pot—removes interdependencies that sustain plant health in the wild. This project contends that we can become better stewards of indoor plants by integrating the mechanics of their native ecologies into the design of the armature, soil, and plant palette. Using field research conducted at the De Hoop Nature Reserve as the basis of design, this project aims to create indoor armatures for three plant communities– limestone, sandstone, and granite–tied to soil type. Through these imaginative displays, we can connect viewers to the extraordinary complexity of the fynbos, a globally threatened environment, and to the plants in their own homes.