Travelling Tuesday: The Flowers of South Africa

Happy Tuesday and howzit? I want to share one of my favourite parts of South Africa with you this Travelling Tuesday (hence me inserting a bit of South African brogue right there). While there are a lot of favourite parts for me, today you can travel with me to enjoy some of this impressive country’s magnificent flowers! You won’t believe the incredible wild flowers you’ll see on a walk ’round these parts. (And… I’m back to Southern English.)

I explained once before ages ago, that the world is divided into six floral kingdoms, (geographic regions with relative uniformity of plant species) most of them stretching thousands of miles, covering countries and continents. But there’s just one very special tiny (in comparison) floral kingdom here, just on the southern tip of South Africa, called the Cape Floristic Kingdom. This tiny corner of our beautiful planet is packed full of over 8,700 plant species, and 68% of them are found here and nowhere else!

Nanny-nanny-boo-boo!

Want to see?

This lovely wild flower is stretching skyward atop Table Mountain!

What’s the story, Morning Glory? (On a Game Reserve in KwaZulu Natal)

Another pretty wild one in KZN…

This birdie {a sunbird} is enjoying the Tecoma outside our place in Gordon’s Bay! Gorgeous hey? {You can buy his sweet mugshot here.}

I don’t know these names, but don’t they look like butter? Yummy.

I’m gonna call this one Mrs. Pineapple.

South Africa’s national flowers (and her national cricket team) are the proteas (of which there are several varieties.) Here are some on a nature reserve in Somerset West. (They’re three on the left–look familiar?)

Caution! There are wild orchids running rampant in KZN!

Other wild flowers on the roadside… I think you can find them near Cape Town.

May I introduce you to Mesembryanthemum? {Now say that three times fast.} Near East London.

This one reminds me of the fox gloves in Scotland. (But it’s in the Helderberg region.)

Remember this one from Elgin?

The (little) Bear is examining an Abelia. {It’s a shrub.}

And my favourites…

Mrs. Strelitzia in Gordon’s Bay (Bird of Paradise in the US)

Isn’t she just an amazing flower? Like, who could come up with this but an incredible Creator?

And this is another type of protea…want to guess the name?

Wait for it to open…Now guess!

  

It’s a pincushion! {See the ant inside?}

I hope you enjoyed this bouquet of a Travelling Tuesday! Blessings as you enjoy your adventure, wherever the road may take you!

xCC

{Many thanks to Gammy, visiting with Goo-Goo, who helped with the names of some of the flowers. Mwah! I don’t know all the names, so if you do and want to fill in some gaps, feel free to comment!}