Living diversity: with more than 9,000 species of plants the Fynbos Region in the Western Cape in South Africa boasts some of the richest diversity of plant life the world over. Many species are only found there. The most prevalent are the many species of the Proteaceae family, which can easily be identified by their blossoms which are as large as a human palm.
The Strelitzia genus originated in South Africa but it received its name in England. When the plant was given to the director of Kew Gardens in London in 1773, it was named after the German principality of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the home of Queen Charlotte Sophie, the wife of King George III. The best known variety is Strelitzia nicolai, the Bird of Paradise.
The fast-growing kaffir boom is a native of South Africa and is often found in coffee plantations. With its spreading crown and broad leaves it is an ideal shade-giver. It only loses its leaves when it flowers, but then the thick panicles of scarlet-red flowers protect the coffee plants from too much sun.
