Welwitschia mirabilis is one of the most extraordinary plants on Earth. It grows only in the Namib Desert and the adjacent arid zones of southern Angola. It produces exactly two leaves in its entire lifetime; the leaves grow continuously from the base and split and tatter at the tips, creating the writhing tangle of straps that gives mature plants their characteristic appearance. It lives, in exceptional cases, for over 2,000 years.
The Biology
Welwitschia is a gymnosperm, related to conifers and cycads rather than to the flowering plants that dominate most terrestrial ecosystems. It has no close relatives; it is the sole member of its family (Welwitschiaceae) and represents an evolutionary lineage that has been diverging from other gymnosperms for over 100 million years.
The two leaves that a Welwitschia produces grow from a basal meristem throughout the plant’s life. The tips die and split; the base grows. A plant that has been alive for 1,000 years has leaves whose oldest portions have been dead for centuries; the actively growing portions are metres away from the stem and many times longer than the plant is wide.
Water source: Fog, primarily. The leaves are structured to condense fog droplets that run toward the base. A deep taproot provides additional access to groundwater.
Where to Find Them
Welwitschia Flats (near Swakopmund): The most accessible population, on the C28 east of Swakopmund. A self-drive permit (available from NWR in Swakopmund) allows access to a trail through a Welwitschia population that includes plants estimated at over 1,000 years old. Individual plants are named and marked.
Within the Skeleton Coast National Park: Welwitschia populations are found throughout the central and southern Skeleton Coast. They are not a target of guided activities but are visible from the C34 road and the approaches to the park camps.
Near Khorixas (Damaraland): The Damaraland section also supports significant Welwitschia populations, covered in the Damaraland content.
Konversation
Welwitschia is listed as Least Concern but individual plants are vulnerable to human disturbance. Walking on or near the plants compacts the soil and damages the root system. Photographing without approaching is the correct protocol. The NWR permit system for the Welwitschia Flats near Swakopmund exists to manage visitor impact on the specific population.