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Indigenous Flowers of South Africa

To celebrate National Heritage Day,  here’s a collection of  some of South Africa’s most fabulous indigenous flowers (including SA’s national flower, the King Protea)…as seen at the Sunday Tribune Garden Show in Pietermaritzburg this past weekend. (Update: View more indigenous flowers of South Africa, 2016.) All photographs by Lorraine Scholfield (thank you!).  Strelizia Regina The […]

To celebrate National Heritage Day,  here’s a collection of  some of South Africa’s most fabulous indigenous flowers (including SA’s national flower, the King Protea)…as seen at the Sunday Tribune Garden Show in Pietermaritzburg this past weekend. (Update: View more indigenous flowers of South Africa, 2016.)

All photographs by Lorraine Scholfield (thank you!). 

Strelizia Regina

Strelizia Regina South Africa

The Strelitzia Reginae is a monocotyledonous flowering plant, commonly called Strelitzia, Crane Flower or Bird of Paradise.

Arum Lilies

Arum Lilies

The Arum Lily – or Araceae – is also a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants. The flowers are borne on a ‘spadix’ (a type of inflorescence) which usually has a leaf-like bract around it.

Mesembryanthemums

Mesembryanthemums or Vygies, South Africa

Mesembryanthemum – fondly called vygies in Afrikaans – is a genus of flowering plants native to southern Africa.

Dietes Grandiflora

Dietes Grandiflora, South Africa

Dietes grandiflora is a rhozomatous perennial plant. It has long, rigid, sword-like green leaves belonging to the Iridaceae family.

Pincushion Proteas

Pincushion Proteas South Africa

The Pincushion Protea or Leucospermum is a genus of about 50 species of flowering plants in the family Proteaceae. It’s native to South Africa and Zimbabwe and occupies a variety of habitats from scrub and forest to mountain slopes.

White King Protea

White King Protea

The King Protea – or Protea cynaroides – is a distinctive member of Protea because it has the largest flower head in the genus. The species is also commonly known as giant protea, honeypot or king sugar bush. The King Protea is South Africa’s national flower and can be found in the south-west and southern parts of South Africa in the fynbos region.

Madiba Protea

Madiba Protea

The Madiba Protea is a smaller version of the King Protea. It’s a beautiful reddish pink colour and is alomost 20% smaller than the traditional Cyranoides variety. The flower has been named after Nelson Mandela’s tribe.

Yellow Clivias

Yellow Clivias

The Clivia is a genus of monocot flowering plants from the Amaryllidaceae flower, and is native to southern Africa. Common names are Natal Lily or Bush Lily.

Peach/Yellow Clivias

Peach Yellow Clivias

As above – the Clivia is a genus of monocot flowering plants from the Amaryllidaceae flower, and is native to southern Africa. Common names are Natal Lily or Bush Lily.

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