Protea repens, the common sugarbush

Protea repens is known as the common sugarbush and suikerbos or opregte suikerbos (purebred sugarbush) in Afrikaans, for its copious supply of nectar.

The Cape sugarbird is one of the regular local beneficiaries of this renowned fynbos delicacy. People also used the nectar as a sugar or as a cough remedy in olden times. They collected nectar and boiled it into a thick syrup. 

This Protea is part of the cultural heritage of people of the southern parts of South Africa, rightly remembered in song, childhood images of rural living and visits to the fynbos (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Rebelo, 1995; iNaturalist).