Steve and I toured the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden with Steve Lake and Nick, our other guide from Micato. It sits on the slopes of Table Mountain with winding paths, beautiful artwork, elevated walkways, beautiful birds and of course trees and flowers. I saw the happiest jade plant ever, full of flowers. Sunbirds and francolin and a silly goose were about. But the stars of the show were the protea.

Protea is the national flower of South Africa. We saw so many, all different and even blooming during the winter. In South African culture, proteas have long been regarded as symbols of hope, resilience, and strength. The flower is often used in traditional healing practices and is believed to bring good luck and fortune. Protea also holds special significance for the indigenous San people, who use the plant for medicinal purposes. There are over 1,400 species of Protea, making it one of the world’s most diverse and abundant flower families. Some of the most popular and well-known species include the King Protea, which is the largest and most iconic of all the Protea flowers, and the Pink Ice Protea, which has delicate pink petals and a unique shape. While they grow primarily in South Africa and Australia, there are some also grown in the U.S., notably Southern California and Hawaii. Every hotel, restaurant and airport lounge had a bouquet of several different protea, all stunning.

The other highlight was the Mandela’s Gold Bird of Paradise, a rare, yellow-flowered cultivar of the common Bird of Paradise named in honor of Nelson Mandela. This striking plant is known for its bright yellow sepals and blue petals, resembling a crested bird, and it was developed through careful hand-pollination at Kirstenbosch.

I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses. We must never forget that it is our duty to protect this environment. – Nelson Mandela

This was our last morning in Cape Town, and a perfect ending to our trip. I will write one more Africa blog after this, with the special, funny and touching memories that I know will bring me back there someday.

In the meantime enjoy the flowers!

Deborah