Apart from the extinct Wynberg subpopulation, the only natural subpopulation of this species is at Smitswinkel Bay. At present plants are found at Smitswinkel Bay over a 2 km long area, with half the subpopulation occurring within the boundaries of the Table Mountain National Park and half on private land. Historically the subpopulation extended westwards by perhaps another kilometre but this area is now highly degraded as it is an Ostrich farm. In 1973 some 1 000 plants were noted (H. Langley, pers. comm.). In 1982 there were 160 plants with a further eight plants west. Since 1985 the largest subpopulation, covering 5 ha, has dropped to 100 in 1990 to 50 in 1995, to about five plants within the reserve in 2000. Several plants were killed to create a fire belt in 1994. Within the reserve the plants have become senescent and died. In 2005 due to lack of fire there were fewer than 20 individuals, the area was burned in April 2005, with good recruitment of several hundred seedlings. Estimates were 7400 plants in 2006 and 5500 in 2009 (D. McDermid, pers. comm.), but these are aerial extrapolations from seven plots and were possibly too high (Rebelo, pers. obs.). Records posted on iNaturalist between 2017 and 2019 show the plants are once again very large and some are senescent and in need of another burn the total population has dropped again below 100 plants (Rebelo pers. obs). A number of reintroductions of this species have taken place, many have not succeeded, these include Gifkommetjie; Booi Se Skerm; Soetdal Wetland in Tokai and out of range introduction in the Kleinrivier Mountains at Fernkloof Nature Reserve. A planted subpopulation at Silvermine Dam mentioned in Hall and Veldhuis (1985) which consisted of 144 plants in 1985, was reputedly established at the municipal nursery at Silvermine to form a seedbank to allow the introduction of the plant in suitable natural sites. This planting dates back to around 1979-80 when seed from 30-40 cones were germinated and planted out above the Silvermine Dam wall on the north side where they 'thrived.' While none of these plants were found by atlassers from 1991 and 2005, a health stand has been recorded on iNaturalist in 2017 consisting of between 50 and 100 individuals. Since this subpopulation has managed to persist for 37 years and has survived and recruited following a minimum of three fire cycles it can now be considered to be part of the wild population. There are therefore two subpopulations of the species which both fluctuate in response to fire season and interval length.

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