Protea...flowers beyond the ordinary

The King Protea the National Flower of South Africa


Fynbos is the major vegetation type of the small botanical region known as the Cape Floral Kingdom. The smallest of the six floral kingdoms, the Cape Floral Kingdom is a global biodiversity asset of great importance. It is home to more types of indigenous plants than any other similar sized area on Earth. At least 70% of the 9,600 plant species of the Cape Floral Kingdom are found nowhere else on Earth. One of the fynbos plant families are proteas. I was fortunate to see many different kind on my recent trip, above photographs were taken at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden which is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site –it is the first botanic garden in the world to be included within a natural World Heritage Site.