South African Wild Flowers

• Written by Holly Hughes on May 09, 2022

South Africa is home to a rich and diverse range of indigenous plants, all of which are crowned by the glory of the country’s national flower, the symbolic protea.

Come and discover some of this nation’s most beautiful flora as well as some other exotic plants native to Africa.

Plants native to Africa

Clivia miniate

With bright blossoms of yellow, orange, and cream, clivia miniate, also nicknamed the yellow bush lily, Natal lily, or kaffir lily, is an evergreen perennial native to southern Africa, particularly regions around, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Mpumalanga. You can find this sweet-smelling plant inwoodland areas where its vibrant flowers light up amongst the foliage.

Agapanthus africanus

You might know these beautiful African flowers by another name: the African lily or the lily-of-the-Nile. Thriving best in warm climates and sunny environments, this plant is also native to South Africa where it blooms bright during the summer months.

Blue, white, and purple flowers adorn the stunning lily-of-the-nile whose foliage consists of clusters of glossy leaves on upright stalks. It’s a flamboyant addition to any garden seeking to emulate the large blooms and distinctive flora of South Africa.

Related post: All About Lilies

South African national flower

The national flower of South Africa is the protea. It is an unusually large flower of Africa, with a striking similarity to artichokes. In fact, the flower-heads of the protea are known as ‘cynaroides’, which translates to ‘like cynara’. Cynara means artichoke.

This name does not adequately encapsulate the beauty of this enormous blossom which comes in a range of different colors and leaf shapes. Visitors to South Africa can experience the variety of giant protea all along the south-west of the country, from just east of Grahamstown down to the Cedarberg.

In South Africa, the protea is a national symbol of beauty and the harmony between different cultures existing within the country. It also represents the idea of South Africa continuing to blossom and grow as a nation.

South African flowers and their meanings

The protea isn’t the only plant rich with symbolic meaning in South Africa. Many South African flowering plants carry even global significance.

For example, the waterlily is revered not just in South Africa but around the world for its symbolic history. As the story goes, when Buddha passed away, waterlilies started blooming wherever he had walked. Thus, wherever this delightfully scented blossom appears is considered a special spiritual place for many. Fortunately, the day-blooming waterlily can be found growing in slow-moving rivers in every province in South Africa.

Wildflowers in South Africa

When people think of flowers from South Africa, regions and fields of wildflowers often come to mind. There are many popular South African wildflower tours that visitors to the country can enjoy and thus experience some of South Africa’s most beautiful and untamed indigenous flowers.

It is these flowers that add such majesty and diversity to South Africa’s landscape – particularly along the Western Cape where the vast and exquisite array of plants and flowers is one of the country’s greatest marvels. Here’s some of the most common of these flowers found in South Africa.

Barberton Daisy

Blooming during the spring and summer months, this daisy can be identified in South Africa by its irregularly shaped and deeply lobed leaves. Its flowers, which appear in closely bound clusters, come in shades of red, pink, orange, and yellow.

It is most commonly found in the Limpopo province of South Africa and the Kruger National Park

Blood Lily

Also known as the paintbrush plant, the blood lily is another lily flower found in South Africa, most often in the northern regions of the country.

What sets the blood lily apart is its puffy red flower that sits atop glossy green leaves and a stem that grows up to 50 centimeters in height. Surrounding this flower – whose petals variegate from dark orange to deep red – are reddish brown leaves.

Related Post: The Secret Meaning of Orange Flowers

The blood lily can be found thriving in shaded grasslands and rocky outcrops in South Africa. Interestingly, though toxic in large amounts, the bulbs of this flower are often used in recipes to cure asthma and colds and can even be an effective antidote to poison!

This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the array of exquisite and exotic flowers native to South Africa. A country known for the diversity of its flora, its plants and flowers have to be seen to be believed.

However, if you’re not yet lucky enough to be traveling to witness the wildflower fields of South Africa just yet, why not bring some of the country’s vibrant color into your home with a bouquet of freshly-picked flowers from a flower delivery service. We’ve got you covered with our pick of the best companies creating exotic bouquets sure to bring an element of the extraordinary to your home:

• 1800 Flowers
• FromYouFlowers
• SendFlowers

Or, for subscription options, check out

• BloomsyBox
• EnjoyFlowers
• MonthlyClubs