The hum of life: how bees power organic Rooibos and Buchu biodiversity in the Cederberg

Stand quietly beside a wooden beehive in the Cederberg and the first thing you notice is the sound. A steady, golden hum that seems to lift from the box and settle over the mountain air. In that hum is movement and intention and a kind of order that feels older than the sandstone cliffs that watch over our farm. At Skimmelberg, we have come to recognise that familiar hive music as the soundtrack to a thriving organic landscape. Bees are not just pleasant company out in our Rooibos and Buchu fields. They are central characters in a story about pollination, biodiversity, and farming with humility in a place that is both wild and delicate.

This story begins in the fynbos. Our home in the Cederberg belongs to the Cape Floristic Region, a biodiversity hotspot that hosts a remarkable number of endemic species in a small area. Rooibos, known to botanists as Aspalathus linearis, is one of those local treasures. Buchu, a fragrant shrub in the genus Agathosma, is another. Both are deeply woven into the ecology and culture of the Western Cape, and both are linked to the work of pollinators that move pollen grain by grain from flower to flower. Without that constant interchange, plant communities unravel. With it, they knit themselves together, season after season, into the living fabric that makes this corner of South Africa so special.

Why bees matter so much in organic tea farming

Pollination is a small miracle repeated millions of times across a farm. For many crops and a very large share of wild plants, insects do the delicate work of pollen transfer that allows flowers to set seed and fruit. Global assessments have made it clear that healthy pollinator populations support food security, nutrition, and even livelihoods, far beyond the fence lines of any one farm.

Organic farming places a particular emphasis on biological processes. Instead of leaning on synthetic inputs, organic systems rely on ecological functions like nutrient cycling, pest predation, and pollination. When those functions run well, the farm becomes resilient and productive in a way that feels almost effortless. Bees are a key part of that living engine. They improve seed set in the wild plants that form our ecological buffers and corridors. They help maintain genetic diversity. They contribute to the stability that organic and regenerative practice depend on to flourish.

Fynbos, Rooibos, and Buchu: a pollination primer

The fynbos is famously rich in life, and much of that richness revolves around flowers. Many fynbos species are insect pollinated, and that includes the plants that star in your teacup. Rooibos produces small yellow flowers that offer nectar and pollen to visiting insects. While Rooibos is harvested for its stems and leaves rather than flowers, a healthy cohort of insects is important for seed production in natural stands and seed orchards, and for the ongoing genetic vitality of Rooibos populations across the region.

Buchu, especially Agathosma betulina, has aromatic leaves and small white to pinkish blossoms that attract bees and other insects. The plant's essential oils are legendary for their fresh, minty-citrus scent, and the flowers reward an array of tiny pollinators drawn by both scent and nectar. In the wild and in cultivation, insects are the matchmakers that allow Buchu plants to set seed and keep local populations robust.

In the Cederberg, we see both managed honeybees and an array of wild bees and other insects at work. The Cape honeybee, Apis mellifera capensis, is native to the Western Cape and well adapted to fynbos landscapes. It shares the floral buffet with solitary bees, small wasps, flies, and beetles. We value that diversity. It spreads risk and gives our landscapes redundancy, so pollination continues even when weather shifts or one species has a hard season.

From hive to hillside: how bees support biodiversity

Biodiversity is often described as the variety of life. On the ground it looks like intact riverbanks, mixed-age stands of natural vegetation, and a seasonal procession of flowering plants across the year. Pollinators bind those pieces together. When bees move freely across our mosaic of organic Rooibos and Buchu blocks, wild fynbos patches, and riparian buffers, they carry genes across the landscape. That gene flow helps plants adapt to change and keeps populations healthy.

In a tea farm context, the benefits add up. Pollinator activity:

• Supports the reproduction of wild fynbos species in and around cultivated fields.
• Enhances the stability of shelterbelts, cover crops, and hedgerows planted for soil and wind protection.
• Improves seed set in seed orchards or conservation plantings, which maintains local provenance material for future cultivation.
• Boosts natural pest control by supporting other beneficial insects that need nectar and pollen at different life stages.

Scientific reviews consistently show that organic landscapes tend to host more species and greater abundance of wildlife, including pollinators, than conventional counterparts. That is partly the result of reduced chemical pressure and partly the result of habitat diversity that organic farms often maintain.

Skimmelberg's bee-friendly, regenerative approach

On our farm, regenerative practice is not a checklist. It is an attitude of care. We ask daily how our decisions will ripple through this place we call home. That mindset guides the way we grow organic Rooibos and Buchu, and it guides how we look after pollinators. A few of the principles we follow:

• Work with living soils. Healthy soils are a foundation for healthy plants that offer better floral resources. We build soil organic matter with composted materials and plant cover crops where appropriate, which improves water infiltration and microbial life.
• Keep chemical pressure low. Organic certification sets a clear standard. We avoid synthetic pesticides and herbicides. That reduces direct and indirect harm to bees and other pollinators.
• Protect and connect habitat. We maintain corridors of indigenous fynbos and riparian buffers. These wild strips are not leftovers. They are the green highways that pollinators and other wildlife use to move through the landscape.
• Time field work with nature's rhythm. Harvest schedules, pruning, and mowing are planned with an eye on flowering cycles, nesting seasons, and weather windows.
• Partner with responsible beekeepers. Where managed hives are used, we site them with care, provide clean water, and avoid overcrowding to limit competition with wild pollinators.
• Steward water. In a Mediterranean climate, water is life. We manage runoff, care for wetlands and riverbanks, and use water wisely in processing.
• Champion indigenous diversity. We prioritise local seed sources and plant indigenous species in buffers and windbreaks.

Regeneration for us also means continuous learning. We walk the fields and take notes on what is in flower and who is visiting. We tweak our cover crop mixes and hedgerow species lists to stretch the nectar calendar. We share observations with neighbours and partners so that this valley can prosper together.

How bees influence the character of a tea landscape

Tea is often described through the lens of terroir. The idea that place imprints a sensory signature on the cup is not only poetic. It is a practical reflection of soil, climate, plant genetics, and ecology at work. Pollinators are part of that story. They help sustain the native flowering plants that shelter our Rooibos and Buchu, shape microclimates, and feed soil life through leaf litter and root systems.

In a well balanced farm, wildflowers in the margins can keep beneficial insect populations steady, which reduces pest pressure and allows our fields to mature with fewer shocks. Plants grown in a calmer biological setting often show their best character. Rooibos offers its honeyed, earthy sweetness. Buchu releases its bright, uplifting aromatics. The cup becomes a faithful translation of the mountain slopes, not a product of inputs layered on top of them.

What you can do as a tea drinker

Your cup can be a vote for biodiversity. A few simple choices ripple outward:

• Choose organic and bee-friendly products. Organic certification limits chemical inputs that can harm pollinators. When you buy from farms that value biodiversity, you fund more habitat, not less.
• Support local stewardship. In South Africa, conservation partnerships have helped farmers in the Rooibos region protect critical fynbos and watercourses.
• Plant for pollinators at home. Indigenous gardens and balcony pots can offer food and refuge for urban bees. In the Cape, species like Salvia africana-lutea, Felicia daisies, and buchu relatives do well while supporting local pollinators.
• Stay curious. Learn about pollinators and share what you discover. Small changes in public awareness have a way of turning into big outcomes on the ground.

If you would like to taste the landscape that our bees help shape, explore our organic Rooibos range and Buchu blends. You may also enjoy reading our latest field notes in the Skimmelberg Journal.

References

1. IPBES. 2016. The assessment report of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services on pollinators, pollination and food production.
2. FAO. 2019. International Pollinators Initiative and why pollinators matter. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
3. Bengtsson, J., Ahnström, J., and Weibull, A. C. 2005. The effects of organic agriculture on biodiversity and abundance: a meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Ecology 42: 261–269.
4. Tuck, S. L., Winqvist, C., Mota, F., Ahnström, J., Turnbull, L. A., and Bengtsson, J. 2014. Land-use intensity and the effects of organic farming on biodiversity: a hierarchical meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Ecology 51: 746–755.
5. SANBI PlantZAfrica. Aspalathus linearis (rooibos). South African National Biodiversity Institute.
6. SANBI PlantZAfrica. Agathosma betulina (buchu). South African National Biodiversity Institute.
7. SANBI. Cape Honey Bee, Apis mellifera capensis. South African National Biodiversity Institute.
8. SANBI. Fynbos Biome overview. South African National Biodiversity Institute.
9. WWF South Africa. Rooibos and biodiversity stewardship in the Cape Floristic Region. World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa.