Satara Summer 2021 – Wild Parasol Flowers

35 Replies

This summer the gardens in Satara were alive with the beautiful blooms of the Wild Parasol Flower bushes and the insects they attract.

Wild Parasol Flower bush in Satara
Wild Parasol Flower bloom
Wild Parasol Flower blooms
Wild Parasol Flower bloom
Wild Parasol Flower blooms
Wild Parasol Flower blooms
Carpenter Bee on Wild Parasol Flower bush
Wild Parasol Flower bloom
Wild Parasol Flower bloom

Karomia speciosa

The Wild Parasol Flower is a shrub or small tree growing up to 6m tall, and usually found on rocky mountain slopes and along rivers in the bushveld regions of extreme northern Kwazulu-Natal, eastern Mpumalanga, and Eswatini. They are deciduous and carry the characteristic bi-coloured flowers from November to April. This plant is a great addition to the summer garden, but no other or traditional uses are known.

35 thoughts on “Satara Summer 2021 – Wild Parasol Flowers”

  6. Playamart - Zeebra Designs's avatarPlayamart - Zeebra Designs

    As I scrolled down and admired the blossoms, I thought, “They look a little like hydrangeas…’ and then I thought, “The leaves remind me of Mock Orange…” so then did a search and discovered (yay) that mock orange is in the hydrangea family, and I think that I read that your parasol flowers are also related to the hydrangeas. It’s one in the morning, and I so wish to have time to keep researching, but it’s probably best that I stop now, and hold the parasol flowers in my memory as a worthy punctuation to this day.

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      1. Playamart - Zeebra Designs's avatarPlayamart - Zeebra Designs

        I miss having that free time from earlier years – and the museo has asked if the show can be extended until —— october! so now i’ll be doing a few extra things each month to try to always have something new for repeat visitors… am also working on this bird study of the area which has been a nice change of attention… i should be working on it now, but as stephen covey advised in ‘7 Habits of Highly effective People,’ we need to remember to sharpen the saw… which I am doing right now! The giraffes – ah, such unique creatures on this planet!

  7. wetanddustyroads's avatarwetanddustyroads

    Ek kan nie onthou dat ek hierdie bos met blomme al voorheen gesien het nie. Die pers en pienk blommetjies is pragtig. Ek lees dat dit in Afrikaans die sambreelboom genoem word (dis ‘n mooi naam).

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  8. Anne's avatarAnne

    These ones haven’t made it into my Field Guide to Wilde Flowers of South Africa, so you have sent my antennae shooting right up and twitching 🙂

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    1. DeWetsWild's avatarde Wets Wild Post author

      It’s a real beauty this one, Anne, and I thought perhaps you might have recognised it from your days in Barberton, as that part of the world seems to be right in the middle of its limited distribution range.

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    1. DeWetsWild's avatarde Wets Wild Post author

      Wow, Jane, and now I learn something from you! Were they introduced to the USA (escapes from gardens, perhaps) or is it a close relative that grows wild there?

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      1. Jane Lurie's avatarJane Lurie

        The quick search I did said origins in South Africa, so introduced, I assume. By the way, your posts came up on the top of the Google search which is great!

  13. lois's avatarlois

    What a pretty flower! We have a plant here called ‘Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.’ It blooms dark purple, then lighter purple, then white. But that’s over a couple days–not at the same time like this little beauty!

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      1. lois's avatarlois

        Mine is in my backyard. I planted it around 25 years ago and it is still blooming! How cool that we have the same plant!?!

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