THE PERFECT SOLUTION FOR YOUR FLOWER GARDEN Leave a comment

There are many attractive African native flowers, but some blooms can do more than add beauty to the landscape. There are flower species that, apart from their beauty, boost your garden’s ecological health.

Africa is home to numerous exotic flowers that need a considerable amount of time to explore. Many of these species have become ornamental plants abroad, and they include:

Strelitzia Reginae 

Strelitzia Reginae is one of the African Native Flowers initially from South Africa and is one of the most popular perennial plants. First introduced to Europe in 1773, the flower blooms in autumn, spring and winter and is a low-maintenance plant that is easy to nurture.

Strelitzia Reginae can grow up to 6 feet, producing about 28 inches long banana-like leaves. It creates a beak-like casing from which the flower sprouts, making it look like a bird’s head. Popularly referred to as Bird of Paradise, the flower consists of three blue and three orange petals.

Benefits of African Native Flowers

Strelitzia Reginae 

• It has been used to treat inflamed glands and sexually transmitted diseases in some KwaZulu Natal communities
• The seeds help accelerate the milk souring process.
• Apart from its beauty, it is a low-maintenance plant that is non-toxic to humans.
• It is an indoor plant that adds beauty and elegance to your interior décor.
• Dried stalks help make ropes for building huts.

Cons of Strelitzia Reginae 

• It takes 3-4 years to bloom.
• Flowering will occur only if given plant food and enough sunlight. The plant needs 4-6 hours of sun exposure or a bright light if indoors to bloom sufficiently.

Adenium Obesum

Adenium Obesum is a flowering plant native to southern, tropical, and subtropical Africa and belongs to Apocynaceae. The plant is tolerant of drought and grows to approximately 3 meters. It mainly blooms in winter and summer and is popularly referred to as impala lily, desert rose, or mock azalea.

It has a thick trunk, and at the branch, tips are a clump of leathery leaves arranged in a spiral format. The flowers have five bell-shaped petals that grow to approximately five centimeters in length.

Benefits of Adenium Plant 

• Produce large, splendid flowers that brighten the home
• Useful in treating wounds
• A solution for some skincare beauty regimes
• It is a pain reliever
• Treatment for toothache, soles of feet, and ulcers
• Tolerates neglect and grows in dry conditions as it has low water demands.
• Can grow as a fence
• Its wood is used as fuel

Cons of Adenium Plant 

• It contains a highly potent poison that could kill instantly.
• The plant is toxic upon ingestion.
• The milky sap is poisonous, resulting in skin irritation or allergies. Please keep it away from children and pets.
• They are extensively used to prepare poisonous arrows across Africa.

Protea Cynaroides

Protea Cynaroides is one of the African naïve flowers found in southwestern parts of South Africa belonging to the Proteaceae family. Named after the Greek god Proteus, the plant is also known as honey pot or giant protea.

The plant is a shrub with dark green leaves stout stems and a vibrant flower head consisting of a cluster of flowers at the center. It is a woody shrub with thick stems and glossy leaves that grows to one meter in height when mature.

Benefits of Proteas 

• They are used as a treatment to clear chest disorders and coughs.
• Used in floral arrangements and bouquets
• You may consume it in the form of tea.

Cons of Proteas

• The seeds are poisonous to humans and animals.
• The bulb is toxic to children and needs extra care. It may cause allergic reactions in children, itching, redness, and rashes.

Gloriosa Superba

Widely distributed in tropical and Southern Africa, Gloriosa Superba is a herb belonging to the family of Colchicaceae. The flower derives its name from its bright red and yellow color. It thrives best in sandy and loamy soils.

Popularly known as climbing lily, creeping lily, or gloriosa lily, the flower is approximately 5 cm long with petals that stretch and wrinkle. The leaves are pale green and have a stamen that disperses outwardly. All parts of the plant are highly toxic due to alkaloids, so ingesting can be fatal.

Benefits of Gloriosa Superba

• Used as an ayurvedic medicinal herb
• Forming a paste and applying it to the forehead and neck, the leaves are believed to cure asthma in children.
• Juice extract from the leaf is used to eliminate head lice.
• The sap helps fight pimples and skin eruptions.
• It is effective in treating infertility, gout, open wounds, snake bites, arthritis, cholera, kidney failure, bruises, hemorrhoids, smallpox, and sexually transmitted diseases.

Cons of Gloriosa 

• It is a highly poisonous plant.
• A key ingredient in arrow poison

Aloe Arborescens

Widely grown in the southeastern parts of South Africa, Aloe Arborescens is a winter-blooming perennial plant belonging to the order of Asparagales. Commonly known as krantz aloe, the plant grows 2-3 m tall with a cylindrical flower arrangement shape. The blooms are red to orange with green leaves that produce spikes at the edges.

Benefits of Aloe 

• Treat burns and wounds by crushing the leaves.
• Relieves labor pains and is used by women in South Africa to ease childbirth
• The leaves are used as a vegetable in Japan as they relieve constipation
• Used as a treatment for inflamed eye infection
• An excellent conditioner that leaves hair smooth and shiny. It helps promote hair growth, prevents itching, and eliminates dandruff.

Cons of Aloe 

• Can lead to skin irritation.
• Long-term use may lead to diarrhea, kidney challenges, muscle weakness, weight loss, and heart problems.
• Aloe leaves or latex extract taken orally may be unsafe in high doses.

 The outlined varieties are some samples of native African flowers. There are other flowering blooms native to Africa, including

• African Daisy
• Carpobrotus Edulis
• Rain/Cape Daisy
• Treasure Flower/Gazania Rigens
• Calla Lily

Most African native flowers are known for their resilience and hardiness. Many low-maintenance flower species that you can safely plant in your garden and enjoy benefits.

When African Native flowers grow in favorable conditions, the blooms will reward you with striking flowers to keep your garden looking neat and gorgeous.