Vegetation in heather/moorland - Mount Kilimanjaro

The Kilimanjaro area has 5 climate zones:

Zone 1: farmland - 800-1800 m
Zone 2: Rainforest - 1800-2800m
Zone 3: Heath and Moorland - 2800-4000m
Zone 4: Alpine Desert - 4000-5000m
Zone 5: Arctic Zone - 5000+ m

The third zone starts with heather and ends with heather and extends between 2,800 and 4,000 m. Temperatures can vary more with increasing altitude. During the day temperatures can exceed 35°C and at night it can drop to freezing point .

As we gain more elevation you will reach Moorland. Here you are more exposed to the relentless African sun, so wear sunscreen .

The most common plants in this section are giant lobelia and senecios.

Huge lobelia resemble oddly shaped palm trees with rosettes that fold up at night to protect themselves from the cold.

Senecios is Latin for "old man". They have thick, weather-resistant stems topped with large succulent rosettes that resemble a beard .

Willem Vandenameele