South African flora

A land of contrasts and colour, South Africa has a flora that is unique. Nowhere else on Earth are there so many plant species in such a small area. With 22,000 different species, it is also home to one of the world’s six ‘floral kingdoms’.

The Cape Floral Kingdom, in the south-western corner of the country, is mainly composed of fynbos (fayn-boss), which means ‘fine-leaved bush’. This heathy shrubland is full of tough-leaved evergreen plants that thrive on winter rainfall and summer droughts. 9000 different species of astonishing variety make up the fynbos, 70% of which grow nowhere else.

Fynbos plants include: restios (grass-like rushes), ericas (heaths), proteas and daisies.

Did you know?
Many of our household and garden plants come from South Africa, including pelargoniums, gladioli, freesias, irises and Agapanthus.

South Africa is also home to Renosterveld (which means rhinoceros bush): a type of vegetation that seasonally erupts with the vibrant colour of annuals and bulbs.

Back up to: temperate house plants

On to: Cape Bulbs