Named after the Greek god Proteus who was able to take on many forms, proteas have a variety of shapes and sizes. Some of the plants grow as shrubs, while others are tall trees. The flower head shapes include cones, crowns, spiders, artichokes, and pincushions. Almost 400 species of proteas grow in South Africa and the hardy plants usually regenerate after burning in a wildfire. 

Helderberg Nature Reserve in Somerset West – We love walking in this nature reserve just below the Helderberg Mountains. Abundant protea buds and blooms are on display in September, so we trekked more slowly during this visit.

The king protea, national flower of South Africa, is also called the giant protea, honeypot, or king sugar bush. Its large blossom resembles a crown and the flower appears on South African birth certificates and passports, as well as on the 5-rand coin. And the name of the country’s cricket team is Proteas

Protea flowers produce a very large amount of nectar, a favorite treat of sugarbirds. We have seen quite a few male and female sugarbirds in Helderberg Nature Reserve during protea season. The long-tailed males often sit at the top of the bush to keep an eye on their territory and chase away any other males. Females build their nests in protea bushes and use fluff from protea seeds as a soft cushion for the eggs.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town – Set at the base of the eastern slope of Table Mountain, this garden is a welcome paradise in the busy city. We saw many, many colors and varieties of pincushion proteas. . .

. . . and tall stems of King Proteas.

Gordon’s Bay – We were not surprised to see several pincushion protea bushes next to the braai area at the home of our friend Martin, an avid gardener. And we even purchased a colorful arrangement of proteas and other fynbos flowers from one of the local supermarkets.