Flowers of Africa: From Desert Survivals to Cape Floral Kingdom

Africa's Diverse Floral Landscapes

Except for South Africa, Africa is not noted for flowers, characterized instead by vast monotonous vegetation: savanna plains, bush veldt, karoo, and the Sahara desert. Equatorial rainforests cover less than a quarter; central African highlands are cool despite equatorial location.

High Mountain Adaptations

High mountain vegetation is unique: strong sun and heat by day, frost by night, little seasonal change, no dormant period. Besides typical low cushion plants, giant Lobelia and Senecio species grow on highest peaks with adaptations for daily temperature fluctuations up to 18°C. Lobelia telekii on Mt. Kenya protects its growing point with leaves, then hairy bracts. 12-foot Lobelia deckenii on Kilimanjaro grows with Senecio species: S. brassica looks like a white cabbage; S. keniodendron reaches 18 feet, leaves spreading by day, folding at night to make a warm woolly coating against -5°C.

Forest and Arid Zone Trees

African forests have fine flowering trees: sausage tree Kigelia africana (bat-pollinated night blooms). Arid areas have baobab Adansonia digitata (swollen trunk, horse-chestnut-like leaves, pendulous white flowers with huge stamens, unpleasant smell, foot-long furry fruits eaten by baboons). Flamboyant tree (brilliant red orchid-like blooms) is native to Madagascar, discovered wild in 1932, cultivated in SE Asia and tropics worldwide.

Succulents and Desert Survivors

No true lilies, but many lily-family members: red-hot pokers (Kniphofia) and aloes (300+ species). Aloes hold the place in Africa that agaves do in America. Introduced cacti became nuisances; native euphorbias evolved similarly to resist heat/drought, easily mistaken for cacti. Some milkweeds (Asclepiadaceae) resemble cacti with swollen prickly stems. Stapelia species have furry mottled flowers smelling of carrion, attracting fly pollinators.

Drought survivors: Lithops (stone plants) look like mottled split pebbles when dormant, produce large colorful flowers from fissures when conditions are right. Welwitschia (Namib desert) produces only two leaves growing from base throughout life (hundreds of years); fruits resemble conifer cones; considered a missing link by Sir Joseph Hooker.

Cape Floral Kingdom: World's Richest Temperate Flora

Most beautiful African flowers are in the south, especially Cape of Good Hope—homeland of proteas. Cape Peninsula (hardly larger than Isle of Wight) has more flowering plants than all of Britain. Many suited to cultivation worldwide.

• Pelargoniums and geraniums (cheerful summer color worldwide) developed from wild African ancestors.
• Coleus species (wonderful leaf color for indoor/greenhouse displays).
• Saintpaulia (African violet) from Tanzania, one of the most popular houseplants.
• Streptocarpus species (African origin); 'Constant Nymph' flowers for months in cool greenhouse.
• Busy lizzie (Impatiens holstii) and other Impatiens from tropical Africa.
• House linden (Sparmannia africana) and sky-blue climber Plumbago capense from South Africa.
• Daisy-flowered plants: Venidium, Arctotis, Gazania, Dimorphotheca, Gerbera.
• Mesembryanthemums including hottentot fig (grows on south coast of Britain, Mediterranean).

Other excellent plants from South Africa: modern gladioli (from Cape Province ancestors), striking Agapanthus (huge blue umbels), pretty Lachenalia (Cape cowslips, like yellow bluebells), late autumn Nerine bowdenii (hardy in southern England), amaryllis lily, Scarborough lily (Vallota speciosa), Clivia, Crinum powellii. Long-lasting chincherinchee (Ornithogalum thyrsoides) exported as cut flower but poisonous to livestock. Arum lily (Zantedeschia) grows in swamps, hardy in Britain, naturalized in Australia becoming a weed. Rare pink arum from Natal. South African heaths (Erica) famous, 550+ species in Cape Province, many rare and protected; common sorts cultivated as pot plants.

Featured African Flowers

African Tulip (Spathodea campanulata)

Brilliant scarlet flowers on jungle tree; planted extensively in gardens/parks. Large flowers in dense clusters at branch tips, pollinated by birds and bats. Trees ~60 feet; freshly cut wood smells of garlic. Called "flame of the forest" in Tanzania/Kenya; associated with witchcraft in some countries.

Blood Lily (Haemanthus multiflorus)

All 50 genus members native to tropical Africa; some near Victoria Falls. Rainforest flower blooming once yearly with large heads of tightly packed flowers and protruding stamens; strap-shaped leaves from large bulb at ground level.

Aloe (Aloe davyana)

Common on South African high veldt, flowering in chilly winter. 330 species in Africa, Madagascar, Arabia; many introduced to Mediterranean gardens. Vary from inches to tree-sized; fleshy spiny leaves, mottled/marked; tubular flowers on simple or branched spikes in pink, red, white, greenish, yellow.

Aeonium caespitosum

Thick rosettes of succulent leaves; large heads of densely packed yellow flowers annually. North Africa and Canary Isles; grown in Spain, Portugal, southern Italy. Withstand prolonged drought but frost-sensitive; in northern countries grown under glass, outdoors in summer.

Cleome luderitziana

Cleomes distributed worldwide in tropical/temperate regions (~150 species); some adapted to deserts by dispensing with leaves. Beautiful poised flowers succeeded by long upright seed pods. Pink/white spider flower Cleome spinosa (South America) grown in English gardens as annual; cabbage white butterfly larvae feed on it.

King Protea (Protea cynaroides)

100+ proteas native to South Africa; king protea has largest flower head (>10 inches). Colored leaves are bracts surrounding central cluster of small blooms. Evergreen tough leaves withstand drought. Cultivated in South Africa, Australia, Pacific North America, Scilly Isles. National flower of South Africa.

Flame Lily (Gloriosa simplex)

National flower of Rhodesia; only liliaceous climber. Scrambles over shrubs with leaf-tip tendrils. Flowers red/yellow, plain yellow at high altitudes. Not hardy outside tropics; grown as greenhouse plant. 5 closely related species.

Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae)

Strange exotic South African native, also called crane flower. Grows wild along river banks and open scrub; cultivated for cut-flower trade in Africa and America. Boat-shaped buds split, orange and dark-blue flowers emerge over days; pollinated by sunbirds/sugarbirds via breast feathers. Family related to bananas; larger species called "wild banana".

Gold Daisy (Gazania krebsiana)

Low-growing gazanias typical of South Africa; brilliant flowers and silvery leaves make attractive garden plants for sunny climates. Flowers only open properly in sunshine; disappointing in northern countries without sun. Cultivated since mid-18th century; many hybrids with yellow, orange, red, white, brownish flowers with contrasting bands. Half-hardy in Britain.

Geranium madarense

Canary Islands flora distinct from Africa, akin to Mediterranean. Endemic plants include this robust herbaceous geranium with numerous pink flowers from large rosette of divided leaves. Recently introduced to English gardens; survives normal winters in south, reliably hardy in Cornwall/Scilly Isles.

Shimmering Daisy (Dorotheanthus bellidiformis)

Like gazanias, respond to sun; colors include purple and crimson. Often listed as Mesembryanthemum criniflorum; grown as half-hardy annuals spreading flat. Common wild flower in Namaqualand. Thick fleshy leaves withstand extreme heat/drought; fine seeds wind-scattered.

Milkweed (Pachycarpus schinzianus)

Spring-flowering plant from Transvaal high veldt; one of 30 allied species with milky juice. ~18 inches high; intricate flowers with cup-shaped outer corolla surrounding colored petals; 1.5 inches wide; fly-pollinated. Several family members resemble cacti.

Flame Gold-tips (Leucadendron discolor)

Same family as proteas; male/female flowers on separate plants. Male: large boss of red anthers turning yellow when pollen ripe. Female: green stigmas, surrounded by petal-like yellow bracts. Shrub ~6 feet; cultivated for long-lasting cut flowers. Need warm climate; not hardy in Britain except Scilly Isles.