Protea cynaroides

The national flower of South Africa is the king protea, or Protea cynaroides, seen flourishing here in the Harold Porter National Botanical Garden. It grows into a small to medium sized shrub.

Sima Eliovson (1973) states that it can fit into the smallest garden! Take this as it was meant: a little nudge to plant one! And it grows well by the coast in its winter rainfall habitat, but nearly equally well elsewhere in the country. And remember to replace when it “flowers itself to death”.