"An emblem of the beauty of our land and the flowering of our potential as a nation in pursuit of the Africa Renaissance - symbolises the holistic integration of forces that grow from the earth and nurtured from above."
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Protea
The Protea Cynaroides is the best known of the Protea family and is our national flower. It is commonly known as the King or Giant Protea and is one of the 400 species. Some Giant Proteas have heads of up to 30 cm across. They grow about one metre in height and have smooth oval shaped, large leathery leaves.
This Protea is usually a shell pink
colour, but occur in
all shades of pink.
Apart from its beautiful colour and shape, the Protea also have medicinal uses. The Protea repens was used in the early Cape Colony to clear chest disorders. A syrup extract from its nectar, known as 'bossiestroop', formed an ingredient in this 'cough mixture'. The Protea caffra is used to treat diarrhoea and bleeding stomach ulcers.
The majority of our Proteas are found on mountains in the Western Cape, overlooking the coast. The coast is therefore known as the 'Coast of Flowers' because of the magnificent display when in bloom. The Protea cryophilla, a rare, pure- white snow Protea, is found nowhere else in the world than in the Cedarberg mountains of South Africa.
Because of the range of the species of Protea, they were named after the Greek God Proteas, who constantly changed his appearance.
The Protea earns valuable foreign exchange for South Africa and is the foremost export flower.