Rarely seen, endangered fire-dependent species of flowers are blooming in the Western Cape's Overberg region in the wake of wildfires, and botanists and citizen scientists are taking advantage.

The smell of smoke has gone from the wild fynbos sanctuaries and the farmlands of the Overberg in the Western Cape. But the landscapes remain scorched and scarred by a blaze so staggering in its intensity that few will forget its impact.

The fires have damaged residential homes and farms, and led to the destruction of wildlife - snakes, tortoises, birds, nesting areas and small animals that could not escape.

And yet, in the aftermath of fire, something weird and wonderful is happening. Among the ashes and blackened vegetation, plants like the exotic blood-red fire lilies (Cyrtanthus ventricosus) are popping up either single or in clumps from the bare earth, flaunting their beauty against a backdrop of twisted burnt branches gnarled by heat.

Driving along the R43 to Gansbaai and Pearly Beach, where the fires were savage, these scarlet, candelabra-like flowers have the chance to show off without being cowered by thick vegetation, including weeds and invasive species.

In many ways, these eye-catching displays are nature's rescue mission for the sunbirds that feed off the lilies' nectar when the rest of the ground is parched.

"It's breathtaking to see plants bursting out of the ground - some that have been...