A beautiful wild flower of Southern Africa, the Heliophila Coronopifolio, common name is Blue Flax, is an annual that normally flowers in spring in the Western Cape and Namaqualand. The colour is most striking and when in flower, it covers huge areas of massed display, looking like purplish blue carpeting from afar.

The flower and plant are quite delicate with long slender stems bearing sprays of flowers. The plant falls within the range of a herb. The plant grows mainly on sandy flats and slopes as displayed in these photos.

They form part of the not to be missed, annual spring flower display in the Western Cape. The Afrikaans name for the Blue Flax is Blou Sporrie.

• blou sorrie
• blue flax
• Flowers
• heliophila coronopifolio
• west coast national park
• wild flowers