Some little known facts about Plett:
The small Cape Floral Kingdom between Cape Town and Grahamstown contains 8500 different flowering plants. This is more than is found in the entire Northern hemisphere. There are 27 common species of Ericasand a great many wild proteas. Shrubs typical of fynbos are blombos, berzelia and bitou giving the local fynbos its particular character. Longstone Park on Beacon Isle Crescent is being developed as the local botanical garden.
More than 260 species of birds have been sited in this area. These include the Knysna Loerie, Narina Trogan ,the African Black Oystercatcher and the Orangebreasted sunbird. Common mammals that may be spotted include the bushpig, dassie, caracal. genet, baboon, vervet monkey, blue duiker, bushbuck, grysbok, leopard, mongoose and the Cape clawless otter. The most common species of reptiles include the dwarf chameleon, boomslang, night adder and puff adder.
Rare and unique insects can also be found here. The silver-spotted caterpillar unique to the coastal belt of the Southern Cape helped lay the foundations of a century-old church at The Crags near Plettenberg Bay. Today, the St Michaels and All Angels Anglican Church, situated on the out-skirts of Kurland Village, stands largely due to proceeds of sales of the striking, silver-spotted moths, which emerge from the rare larva known as leto venus
