Autumn & Winter Flowering Plants – Cool Season Blooms

Bird of Paradise is an unmistakable South African icon, admired for its bold, tropical foliage and brilliant orange-and-blue flowers that create stunning focal points in any landscape. This indigenous beauty provides year-round architectural greenery and dramatic color displays when in bloom mainly from May to December, making it perfect for modern gardens, poolside plantings, and container displays. Best grown in full sun to light shade, this hardy, low-maintenance plant is water-wise once established and wind-resistant, making it ideal for coastal gardens and challenging conditions. Plant 1.5-2m apart for mass plantings or use as specimen plants in garden beds and containers. Feed annually in early spring with quality compost before new growth begins, then fertilize during the growing season with a balanced fertilizer for optimal flowering. Apply pine mulch around the base to retain moisture and suppress weeds. This versatile indigenous plant can be successfully grown indoors when provided with lots of bright light and some direct sun. Learn how your garden can support local ecosystems with indigenous plants like Bird of Paradise.

Protea 'King Pink' is a magnificent indigenous fynbos shrub that produces spectacular large pink protea flowers, perfect for creating stunning focal points in water-wise gardens and indigenous landscapes. This hardy South African plant thrives in well-draining soils and Mediterranean climates, making it an excellent choice for Western Cape gardens where dramatic blooms and drought tolerance are desired. The striking pink flowers make excellent cut flowers and are perfect for creating impressive floral displays. Plant 2-3m apart for screening or use as a striking specimen plant in mixed fynbos plantings. Feed annually with a low-phosphorus indigenous plant fertilizer to encourage healthy growth and abundant flowering. For best results, plant in Arnelia Premium Potting Soil for optimal drainage and nutrition. Learn more about fynbos gardening in September or discover water-wise gardening techniques for creating beautiful, drought-tolerant landscapes with indigenous proteas.

Conebush 'Safari Sunset' is a stunning indigenous fynbos shrub known as the common sunshine conebush with a long flowering season from May to December, perfect for adding vibrant seasonal color to water-wise gardens. The flowers change color from striking burgundy red in summer and autumn to bright yellow and red bi-color in winter, creating spectacular displays throughout the year. This hardy South African plant makes excellent cut flowers and is ideal for low maintenance, low water use gardens. Plant 2-2.5m apart for screening or use as a striking specimen plant in mixed fynbos plantings. Feed annually with a low-phosphorus indigenous plant fertilizer to encourage healthy growth and vibrant seasonal color changes. For best results, plant in Arnelia Premium Potting Soil for optimal drainage and nutrition. Learn more about fynbos gardening in September or discover water-wise gardening techniques for creating beautiful, drought-tolerant landscapes.

Laurustinus Lucidum,also known as 'Wild Laurel', is widely considered to be a 'Golden oldie'. This versatile plant remains popular for its ability to be a perfect specimen for use in small gardens, in pots and even on balconies. In late winter flattish heads of pink flower buds appear, opening into tiny white flowers. Clusters of small metallic-blue berries mature in autumn. 'Wild Laurel' is a  popular evergreen choice for hedging and also often grown as a compact standard tree. 

Berg Buchu (Agathosma ciliaris) is a stunning indigenous fynbos shrub that transforms your garden with authentic South African beauty. This aromatic evergreen produces masses of delicate white or pink flowers from autumn through winter, creating spectacular displays when most plants are dormant.

The fragrant foliage releases delightful buchu scent when touched.  This shrub handles salt spray and wind making it coastal tough.  Ideal for spots and small spaces

Plant in well-draining soil, full sun to partial shade. Minimal maintenance required - simply prune lightly after flowering.

This striking indigenous succulent forms attractive grey-green rosettes of thick, paddle-shaped leaves that create beautiful textural contrast in water-wise gardens. Particularly spectacular in late winter when clusters of showy salmon-orange bell-shaped flowers emerge on tall stems, attracting pollinators and adding vibrant color to the garden. Plant 60cm apart for groundcover effect or use as specimen plants in rockeries and containers. Feed with a low-nitrogen succulent fertilizer in early spring to encourage flowering, avoiding overwatering which can cause root rot.

The Buddleja Auriculata can be planted as either a small evergreen tree or as a large shrub. It is known for its winter enchantment, as it bursts into bloom with honey-scented cream flowers delicately adorning the ends of weeping branches. Buddleja is also an ideal indigenous choice for creating a stunning hedge.

Spreading succulent with yellow-green to orange foliage.  White, lightly fragrant flowers in winter.

Also called Schlumbergia or Christmas Cactus. This cascading, epiphytic cactus is ideal for use in hanging baskets.  It has flat segmented stems, resembling crab claws and it bears striking, long-lasting tubular flowers in winter.  Flowers comes in shades of pink, red, purple and orange.  This cactus will even flower indoors. Needs to be watered regularly in spring and summer and much less in winter. Do not place in direct sunlight.

A very delicate semi-succulent perennial herb with tiny bright green leaves in shaded areas, turning maroon in a sunny spot.  Covered in small white flowers from September to May. Ideal to use as an evergreen groundcover in shaded gardens or in a hanging basket.  

The foliage of Eve Prince is finer than other Viburnums. This medium sized, evergreen shrub has dark green leaves and heads of small pink-tinged white flowers in late winter/early spring followed by small blue-black berries. Drought and wind tolerant. Ideal to clip into a hedge or screen. Eve Prince is suitable for container gardening or as a stand-alone specimen in garden beds.