One of the many exceptional things about the new Tsau //Khaeb (Sperrgebiet) National Park is its plant diversity. Many of the plants found there are endemic - they occur nowhere else on earth! Once the new park is open to the public, more people will have a chance to see these plants while enjoying the scenic beauty of the Sperrgebiet. The influx of visitors and the development of tourism infrastructure may, however, threaten this botanical treasure chest if it is not planned with the plants in mind. Let me introduce you to some of these fascinating plants and tell you more about how we plan to protect them while developing the park for tourism. 
The Sperrgebiet's exceptional plant diversity and endemism is mainly due to its diverse mosaic of landscapes and unusual climate. This is the northernmost tip of the Succulent Karoo biome, so called because succulents (plants with water-storing leaves or stems) are the most common plants in this biome. The coastal strip presents a different habitat to the inland Succulent Karoo and thus supports many Sperrgebiet endemics, such as some small shrubs of the daisy or parsley family. The greatest species diversity, however, is found in the mountains - such as the Aurus, Klinghardt and Obib ranges. Each mountain range supports many hundreds of plant species. While the iconic quiver trees and other aloes will attract most of the attention from future park visitors, the most intriguing plants for botanists like me are the cryptic dwarf succulents and low-growing compact succulents. These are commonly known as vygies in Afrikaans or midday flowers in English - botanists call them mesembs. It is amongst these that most of the endemics in the Sperrgebiet evolved. One wonders why?