It’s blooming beautiful on Flower Valley Farm right now.
The Proteas are flowering – and that makes it quite simply one of the most beautiful times of the year to visit the farm for a hike.
(Remember: Flower Valley Farm is now open for hiking and mountain biking. However, in order to adhere to COVID-19 regulations, we ask that groups stick to a maximum of 4 people, and that you wear your mask when in any of our buildings and offices, and maintain social distancing when you’re outside).
A little background check on Proteas:
To find out more about the history of Proteas, we checked in with Flower Valley friend, Zoë Poulsen from Notes from a Cape Town Botanist.
According to Zoë, the genus was named in 1735 by Carl Linnaeus after the Greek God, Proteus. Proteus had the ability to take on different forms – and it’s believed Linnaeus was inspired by the many different forms of Protea flowers.
But Proteas have a much longer history than that. Fossil pollen shows that the Proteaceae family’s origins were on the supercontinent Gondwana, some 140 million years ago. What’s more, according to Zoë, they even once occurred in Antarctica – before the continent was covered in ice.
Proteas today on Flower Valley Farm
There are 112 species of Proteas – and most you’ll only find in the Fynbos Biome. Flower Valley Farm is home to 11 of these species. And if you choose to enjoy the farm’s tranquil hiking routes right now, here’s what you could see:
Protea compacta (Near Threatened)
Protea repens (Least Concern)
Protea cynaroides (Least concern)
Protea longifolia (Vulnerable)
Protea speciosa (Least Concern)
Flower Valley Conservation Trust
Flower Valley Farm
Flower Valley Farm is a showcase of pristine fynbos and indigenous forests covering our mountains and valleys, and a demonstration of how to manage these landscapes well.
Search
Popular Posts
Flower Valley’s latest news
When we saw that an intact pristine fynbos farm was threatened by potential agricultural expansion 21 years ago – you, our donors, stepped in to help. This purchase with the help of Fauna and Flora International, saw the birth of Flower Valley Conservation Trust.
A Coronavirus update: A swift response to a crisis
At the height of the lockdown during the past four months, Flower Valley Conservation Trust had to react swiftly. At the time, the spotlight fell almost exclusively on the latter half of our vision: for life and livelihoods (our vision is: A fynbos-filled future for life and livelihoods).
Does fynbos training really make a difference?
Over the past two years, 138 fynbos harvesters received training in how to harvest fynbos sustainably. They were trained in their own home language (Afrikaans, isiXhosa and English).
Nurturing children during the extended lockdown period
“The response we received to our call for donations, was heartwarming and enabled us to meet the overwhelming need in these communities.”
Collaboration with Australia: Amplifying the Alien Clearing Programme
Australia and South Africa have teamed up to add new functionality to the Flower Valley Alien Clearing Programme.
Two new alien plant species found along Klipdrift River
The Flower Valley team has found two new alien plant species to the Overberg, while working along the banks of the Klipdrift River in Napier. And one species in particular is causing concern for conservationists here, due to its
Tips on making your nature photos come to life (Nature Photography Day)
The difference between an average photograph and an eye-catching one doesn’t necessarily require you to buy a new camera.
#EnvironmentDay quiz: Do you know your fynbos?
How well do you know your fynbos? This Environment Day (Friday 5 June), the world takes Time for Nature (2020’s theme). So take a moment to test your fynbos knowledge (there are just 10 super quick questions). Do it simply #ForNature.
Our Network
