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15 plants worth knowing

South Africa

South Africa is one of the most botanically rich countries in the world, with more than 20,000 plant species. In the south-west lies the Cape Floristic Region with its heath-like fynbos; in the west, the succulent Karoo; inland, the grassy highveld; in the north-east, savannas with Kruger National Park; and along the Indian Ocean coast, subtropical forests and remnants of montane forest with yellowwood trees.

Hover over a plant to see on the map where it grows.

where it grows

  1. King protea 1

    shrub · National flower of South Africa

    King protea

    Protea cynaroides

    The huge flower head of the king protea, up to 30 cm across, is South Africa’s national flower and the namesake of the “Proteas” team.
  2. Bird of paradise flower 2

    flower

    Bird of paradise flower

    Strelitzia reginae

    Orange-and-blue strelitzia flowers look like the head of an exotic bird – the plant comes from the coast of the Eastern Cape.
  3. Real yellowwood 3

    tree · National tree of South Africa

    Real yellowwood

    Podocarpus latifolius

    The real yellowwood, South Africa’s national tree, is a coniferous giant of the Knysna forests whose wood made classic colonial furniture.
  4. Rooibos 4

    shrub

    Rooibos

    Aspalathus linearis

    Rooibos grows only in and around the Cederberg mountains – its fermented, rust-red twigs are brewed into the famous “red tea”.
  5. Bitter aloe 5

    succulent

    Bitter aloe

    Aloe ferox

    In winter thousands of bitter aloes light up the slopes of the Eastern Cape with orange flower candles, and their bitter sap is a well-known remedy.
  6. Calla lily 6

    flower

    Calla lily

    Zantedeschia aethiopica

    The white calla lily, a favourite in bridal bouquets worldwide, grows wild in South Africa in damp meadows, ditches and along streams.
  7. Barberton daisy 7

    flower · The flower on the coat of arms and flag of Mpumalanga province

    Barberton daisy

    Gerbera jamesonii

    The wild ancestor of the gerberas in florists worldwide comes from around Barberton in Mpumalanga – hence its English name, Barberton daisy.
  8. Marula 8

    tree

    Marula

    Sclerocarya birrea

    Marula fruit is made into the famous Amarula liqueur, and elephants gorge on it so eagerly that legends tell of them getting drunk.
  9. Bush lily 9

    perennial

    Bush lily

    Clivia miniata

    Orange clivia umbels light up the shady forests of eastern South Africa – and the plant was once a favourite windowsill houseplant in Europe.
  10. Quiver tree 10

    succulent

    Quiver tree

    Aloidendron dichotomum

    Tree aloes with golden trunks form extraordinary otherworldly “forests” in the semi-deserts of the Northern Cape.
  11. African lily 11

    flower

    African lily

    Agapanthus praecox

    In summer the blue flower globes of agapanthus adorn roadsides, parks and gardens throughout South Africa – one of the country’s most popular native ornamentals.
  12. Camel thorn 12

    tree

    Camel thorn

    Vachellia erioloba

    The spreading kameeldoring acacia is the emblem of the Kalahari – sociable weavers build huge nests in its crown and lions rest in its shade.
  13. Silver tree 13

    tree

    Silver tree

    Leucadendron argenteum

    The silver tree, with leaves that gleam like metal, grows wild almost exclusively on the slopes of Table Mountain in Cape Town.
  14. Hoodia 14

    succulent

    Hoodia

    Hoodia gordonii

    A spiny Karoo succulent the San used to stave off hunger and thirst on hunting trips – it later caught the eye of pharmaceutical companies.
  15. Wood’s cycad 15

    tree

    Wood’s cycad

    Encephalartos woodii

    The world’s loneliest plant: every specimen of this cycad is a clone of a single male plant found in KwaZulu-Natal in 1895.