King protea

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.

The king protea is a low, spreading shrub growing to 0.5–2 m, with leathery, glossy leaves on long stalks. Its flower head is shaped like a great bowl – a dome of tiny flowers at the centre, surrounded by pink, cream or red bracts; it can exceed 30 cm in diameter. It grows in fynbos on poor, acidic soils, and thanks to a thickened underground stem it resprouts after fires, which are a natural part of this ecosystem. The flowers are pollinated by birds, including sunbirds and sugarbirds.

Significance in the country

The king protea is South Africa’s official national flower and appears on the national coat of arms; the national cricket team’s nickname, the “Proteas”, comes from it. It is also one of the most popular cut flowers exported from the Western Cape.

Where it grows

The fynbos of the Western Cape (from the Cederberg to the Cape Peninsula and the Langeberg) and the western part of the Eastern Cape as far as Grahamstown.

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