National botanical garden. A brief context to set expectations.
National botanical garden: Quick notes
Hi GPODers!
Our community has shared photos from public and private gardens all over the world. North America is usually the most represented, but we have travelled throughout Europe, Central and South America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand via home gardens and the famed botanical institutions that adventurous GPODers travel to. Today, we finally venture to a country that is famous for its flowers but (to my knowledge) has not been seen on Garden Photo of the Day before: South Africa. One particular destination in South Africa that should be on every plant-person’s bucket list is Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens in Cape Town, South Africa, and Caroline from Yakima, Washington had the opportunity to visit this internationally-acclaimed botanical garden last year. Here is what she had to say about her trip and the incredible plants she saw while there:
I had an amazing trip to four countries in southern Africa last fall, and one of many trip highlights (lions! baby elephants! penguins! giant sand dunes! Victoria Falls!) was visiting the world-class Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, located in a mountain valley on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa. I was there in early November, which they call late spring or early summer although their seasons bear little resemblance to ours in North America. It was sunny, warm, and dry while I was there. Some outstanding features of the garden are the stupendous setting, the exotic plants, the wide, paved paths, and the famous elevated walkway. Another is the 16 species of snakes present in the garden, but no worries, only four are dangerous and really only three will kill you. The Cape region has such biodiversity that it is a unique Floral Kingdom, one of six such regions in the world, and for that reason it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It comprises only 0.5% of the land mass of the continent of Africa yet contains 20% of its plant species, most of which occur nowhere else on earth. The World Heritage Site consists of eight separate protected areas, one of which is the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, where 2,285 native species are showcased. Many have been bred to become garden favorites and are grown around the world. These plants include: amaryllis, kniphofia, protea, watsonia, gardenia, plectranthus, bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae, Zones 10–12), and aloe.
Truly one of the most stunning settings for a garden in the world.
I found the protea genus gorgeous and fascinating. This is the national flower of South Africa, the king protea (Protea cynaroides, Zones 9–12).
This beauty is a pincushion protea (Leucospermum vestitum, Zones 9–11).
Another leucospermum. In addition to a huge display in Kirstenbosch, I saw this one growing in front of people’s homes and in parks throughout Cape Town.
Yet another gorgeous member of the protea family, the common pagoda (Mimetes cucullatus, Zones 9–11).
Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful photos of fascinating plants, Caroline! This had to be a life-changing trip, and we really appreciate you sharing a slice of the plant magic with us.
Caroline also teased that she has some more photos she would be willing to share with us, so if you’re interested in seeing more from this world-class botanical garden please let her know in the comments. And if you have any interesting plant photos to share, follow the directions below to submit your photos to Garden Photo of the Day!
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