The vegetation is also incredibly diverse, with one of the world’s seven floral kingdoms almost exclusively endemic to the province, namely the Cape Floral Kingdom, most of which is covered by Fynbos.
With more plant species occurring on Table Mountain than in the entire United Kingdom, these evergreen habitats are extremely rich in species diversity. It is characterised by a number of types of shrubs, thousands of flowering plant species and various grasses.
Karoo drought-resistant shrubbery dominates the arid interior. The West Coast and Little Karoo are semi-arid regions and are typified by many species of succulents and drought-resistant shrubs and acacia trees.
The Garden Route on the south coast is incredibly lush, with temperate rainforest covering many areas adjacent to the beach, in broad river valleys and along the southern slopes of the Outeniqua mountain range. Typical species are hardwoods of exceptional height, such as Yellowwood, Stinkwood and Ironwood trees.
There are even two permanent colonies of penguins found on the coast, with frequent visits from southern right whales.