The Best of the Amazing Flowers
of Africa – Photos
🖋️ By Deb | 🗓️ April 14, 2022 | 📁 Flowers of Africa
Welcome to the amazing flowers of Africa.
There are a lot of spectacular things that come to mind when the subject of Africa comes up. Flowers aren’t always one of them.
There is the wildlife, of course. Far-reaching savannahs. Beautiful, friendly people. Exotic cities. Golden deserts – the list just goes on and on.
The flowers of Africa definitely need to be on that list.
One of the many advantages to being a woman travelling on your own? You can spend as much time as you want finding and enjoying the flowers of Africa.
Below I’ll introduce you to a few of the more famous African flowers.
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African Flowers and Their Meanings
King Protea
Take the King Protea for example.
They can grow as tall as 2 metres high, and the flower heads can be as wide as 30cm. They’re not much for a flowery scent, but wow. They are stunning, and are actually the South African national flowers, where this picture was taken.
These flowers were named for the Greek deity Proteus, one of the prophetic “old men of the sea”.
Proteus was a shapeshifter. It was seen as a fitting comparison, as the Proteus flower family, with 1500 species, takes many forms.
In the local traditions of South Africa, these the protea can represent change and hope, or diversity and courage. This is attributed to the resilience of this plant, withstanding extreme climate changes.
Here are a few more of the amazing flowers I’ve come across in Africa. See if you can pick a favourite.
Livingstone Daisy
Livingstone Daisies are little succulents that are also known as Ice Plants. They’re called this for the way the wee little hairs on the plants reflect light. This reflection looks like bits of ice.
They’re native flowers of Africa. These are from the Cape Peninsula of South Africa. However, they can be grown anywhere with full sun and sandy, well-drained soil.
They can be seen in the Cape growing en mass near beaches and in mass plantings in flower beds.
Ice Plants are thought by some to symbolize good fortune and good luck.
They come in white, pink or red, but these above are the ones I see most often.
Pincushion Flower
Pincushion flowers can be found in a few African countries. See them in Swaziland, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, as well as South Africa.
They’re sometimes called Pincushion Proteas, as they’re related to the proteas, the first on this list.
They’re pretty hardy, and you’ll see them growing in rocky, mountainous areas.
They can survive temperatures as cold as -40ºC, so most people would be able to grow a little Eastern Africa in their own gardens.
The gorgeous flowers have more than their looks going for them. They actually symbolize strength and enthusiasm.
Impala Lily
This pretty little flower is also known as the Desert Rose, and as the Sabi Star. They grow in the tropical parts of southern Africa.
They can be grown in warm parts of other places, and are actually often grown indoors as bonsai plants.
The Impala Lily produces a milky latex that bushmen use to poison the ends of their arrows, and as a fish stunning poison.
The pretty ones always seem to be a little bit dangerous.
These great blossoms are uncommon eastern and southern African flowers. They’re related to the Blood Lilies.
It’s a bulbous plant also called a Snake Lily that blooms in the late summer.
Traditionally, the bulbs were used to treat everything from coughs to leprosy. It was even consumed by pregnant women along with herbs to ensure a safe labour.
Ingest enough of the bulb or the pollen, though, and it’s poisonous, so maybe don’t try this one at home.
African Daisy
When we grow them in North America, these are considered tender perennials. In their native South Africa, they’re tough enough to survive the hot, dry climate.
Called Osteospermum by flower experts, the African Daisy symbolizes purity and innocence.
The Osteospermum native to Africa are this pearly white colour. The stark contrast of the purpley-blue centre with the bits of yellow is what makes it special.
However, hybridization has produced a variety of colours. You can now get plants in yellow, orange, purple and red. The white ones are still my favourite.
The African daisy is actually part of the daisy and sunflower family, Calenduleae, which has over 50 members.
The family is still growing, apparently, with new species still being discovered.
Yellow Clivia
Another native of South Africa, these are also called Yellow Bush Lillies.
Their tiny flowers have the look of amaryllis to them. They’re native to South Africa.
Like the Paintbrush Lilies, they have traditional medicinal uses. The rhizomes are quite toxic, but are used in small amounts to treat stomachaches and to help with birth pains.
Clivia is thought to symbolize good fortune and single-mindedness, as well as courage in the face of misfortune.
Michaelmas Daisy
These little blooms are also called by the very dull name of Fall Asters. They were given the name Michaelmas Daisy because of their blooming period.
They bloom around the feast of St Michael, or Michaelmas, at the end of September.
Michaelmas Daisies are actually native to Europe, but they grow beautifully in the South African climate. It’s become their second home and can be seen anywhere.
They were traditionally given to symbolize farewell or departure.
They’re a great addition to a North American flower bed. The little flowers add a pretty bit of colour in the fall, especially when planted in large clumps.
Aloe Africana
I had never realized that aloe plants flowered until I saw them in Africa. The aloes we’re used to seeing in North America are Aloe Vera. We can sometimes get these to bloom if we can give them full sun.
They also need temperatures between 20º and 30ºC during the day, and 15ºC or warmer at night.
The Africana can grow as tall as 1.8 m tall, with leaves about 60 cm. Our Aloe Vera is well-known for a variety of medicinal uses, but this isn’t true of all aloe species. Some aloes are poisonous, so don’t ingest any aloe or put it on your skin unless you know for sure what kind it is.
Aloe Africana doesn’t need to be useful for anything but looking at.
Summing It Up: The Amazing Flowers of Africa
This is just a very tiny sample of the flowers of Africa. The continent is home to more than 9000 species of plants. Of those 9000, at least 70% don’t grow wild anywhere else in the world.
You can see these flowers everywhere you go. But you can spend an entire day just enjoying the best of Africa’s plants and flowers. Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens near Cape Town has an astounding collection of flowers and plants.
Just one day may not be enough to see them all.
Also try to visit northwestern South Africa between the middle of August and the middle of September. Drive up to Namaqualand National Park, and then drive south with the sun. This way you’ll catch the best of the most famous flower route there is.
The Namaqua flowers are stunning. Read more about that heart-stopping spectacle here.
You might also like:
• 20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit Namibia
• Photos to Inspire You to Visit Botswana
• 30 Photos to Inspire You to Visit South Africa
• 10 Best Africa Countries to Visit in 2022
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