Protea - Interesting Facts About South Africa's National Flower!

Protea is both the botanical name of a genus of South African flowering plants and the common English name, often named fynbos or sugarbushes. The protea represents change and hope in local tradition. Proteas drew the interest of 17th-century botanists exploring the Cape of Good Hope. During the 18th century, several plants were imported to Europe, gaining a special success among botanists at the period.

Overview

The genus Protea was named after the Greek god Proteus in 1735 by Carl Linnaeus who may change his shape at will as they have such a large range of shapes. The genus of Linnaeus was created by combining a variety of genera previously published by Herman Boerhaave, but exactly which genera of Boerhaave are included in the Protea of Linnaeus differed with each of the Linnaeus’ publications.

Proteas are lovely bulbs and are interesting. They are native to sunshine South Africa and are unlike any other kind of flora. South Africans love this flower so much that they use it for the national cricket team as a sign and a tag! There are a variety of protea forms and the ones that emerge in the wild are being covered.

These flowers are normally pollinated with different types of including bats, insects, and also smaller varieties marsupials. This plant has very well adapted to its dry conditions, too. The plant itself possesses thick leaves that help retain water. Only the roots are thin and clumped which makes water absorption more effective.

Fascinating Facts

The protea belongs to the broader Proteaceae family, which allegedly occurred in Gondwanaland ‘s ancient landmass – so they go back a long way!
Proteas are cultivated commercially in San Diego, Santa Barbara, and portions of Hawaii, in the United States.
The group itself was named after Proteus, a Greek deity of shapeshifting capabilities. The name suits, as these blooms come in all manner of shapes and sizes
Protea is used as a cough medicine for medical care of other chest disorders.
These flowers symbolize diversity, change and courage.
The national flora of South Africa is actually the King Protea, the largest protea species!
They come in various colours of purple, white and gold.
Proteas bloom in fall, winter, and spring, but generally the plant is evergreen.
Surprisingly, protea blooms grow well after wildfires, because their outer layer is scorched, causing latent buds to eventually emerge!
All proteas have a root system of proteids, allowing them to survive in soil that isn’t as nutrient-rich.

Best time to visit South Africa

There is no one ideal time to visit South Africa: because of its differing national temperatures and natural resources, it is a year-round destination. South Africa’s northern regions may be rainy from November to February but this may be the best time for birding to fly. The colder May to September winter months offer excellent weather

In its summer months between November and February, the Cape has lovely, sunny, dry weather, with temperatures between 23 ° C and 26 ° C. Between July and November the perfect time to visit the Cape for whale watching is.

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