Egoli Granite Grassland
Granite Grasslands is a unique collection of plants and animals that historically occurred right in the centre of northern Johannesburg, from Braamfontein northwards towards Pretoria, and from Houghton in the east to Krugersdorp in the west. Egoli Granite Grasslands is a smaller unit of the Mesic Highveld Grassland Bioregion, within the Grassland Biome which stretches across the northern and eastern parts of South Africa. Egoli Granite Grassland is endemic to Gauteng, meaning it occurs nowhere else but within the urban zones of Joburg and Pretoria. For this reason it is critically endangered.
There is no longer an option of placing this unique collection of biodiversity within a nature reserve, so the only way to preserve it and ensure it does not go extinct is to weave the tapestry of small gardens, parks and roadsides into a larger area of rehabilitated Egoli Granite Grassland, and connect all these spaces together and strengthen them with important connections across the city such as Braamfontein Spruit.
The Braamfontein Spruit biodiversity corridor is critical to the survival of our local biodiversity and the preservation of our heritage. This vegetation type also provides habitat for endangered animal species including the African Grass Owl (Tyto capensis), Marsh Sylph (Metisella meninx), and the Giant African Bullfrog (Pyxicephalus adspersus).
The grassland itself contains many very beautiful and colourful grasses, showy succulents and bulbs, textured shrubs and herbs, and the occasional tree. Features include rocky outcrops and wetlands in nature. Together these plants and their unique water and rock features can be made into stunning gardens that look wonderful and support local biodiversity like a mini-nature reserve would. Use our plant explorer tool to find out more about these plants and follow the links to further resources to find out how they support different animal species, their many medical, useful and culturally interesting features. There is no doubt that this vegetation type is an important piece of our heritage that is worth restoring.
For more information on this unique vegetation type, please check out these sources below:
- Conservation value of the Egoli Granite Grassland, an endemic grassland in Gauteng, South Africa
- The vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Strelitzia 19 (2006)
Important remnants of Egoli Granite Grasslands
