Local Farming Conditions

The Western Cape’s Cederberg region is incredibly bio-diverse and home to a vast number of indigenous fynbos species. It is only here that Rooibos (Aspalathus Linearis) grows in its natural state.

The Cederberg region provides the perfect environment for Rooibos cultivation: Mediterranean climate (with a winter rainfall between 200 mm and 450 mm per year), deep coarse acidic sandy soils, and temperatures that can range from zero degrees centigrade in winter months up to forty-five degrees centigrade in summer.

Rooibos is a very hardy dry land crop; no irrigation is used and the Rooibos plant is often subjected to drought conditions. Superior quality rooibos generally comes from the higher altitude areas with lower rainfall and consequently lower yield. Cultivation practices vary: A typical Rooibos field is harvested annually for about 4-7 years; thereafter a rotation crop (typically oats) is planted for 1-3 years to provide fields with a rest/recovery period where nutrients are returned to the land.