I grow container plants from South Africa's Cape Floral Kingdom located at the southern tip of Africa. During the winter, the plants are kept indoors in a well-ventilated sunroom under full spectrum fluorescent lamps. Southern African native plants are a challenge to grow in the Washington, DC area because they require a Mediterranean climate, full sun, and air movement to flower. The Cape Floral Kingdom, the smallest of the six floral kingdoms of the world, contains five of South Africa's biomes or natural areas—the Nama and Succulent Karoo, Thicket, Forest, and Fynbos biomes. The Fynbos biome includes the fynbos and renosterveld vegetation types. Fynbos covers about four-fifths of the Cape Floral Kingdom in the southern and southwestern Cape. The word fynbos comes from the Dutch word 'fijn bosch' for fine-leaved shrub. The concentration of plant species in the fynbos is truly incredible, over 1,300 per 10,000 sq km, which far surpasses the South American rain forest with only 400 species per 10,000 sq km. Of the 8,700 species in the Cape Floral Kingdom, 68% are found nowhere else in the world including members of seven families. On Table Mountain, there are 1,470 species, more than the entire British Isles! Plants characteristic of the fynbos include the leathery-leaved proteas, the shrub-like, small-leaved ericas (heaths), and restios (Cape reeds) that occupy the niche filled by grasses. The most prominent plant families include the Proteaceae (genera Protea, Mimetes, Leucadendron, and Leucospermum), Ericaceae (erica family), Restionaceae (reed family), Iridaceae (bulbous plants like iris and gladiolus), and Asteraceae (daisy family). Habitat loss and global warming are causing range loss as proteas move to cooler temperatures upslope; other species will become extinct as they lose all suitable range. The Proteas require an acidic (most species), well-drained and aerated soil with a cool root system. I use a well-drained, sterile soil mixture composed of 3 pine bark:2 perlite:2 Pro-Mix® BX. These plants are susceptible to root rot fungus, Phytophthora cinnamomi, so I water once a week in the morning. Evening watering encourages root rot because the soil does not dry out at night. There is a network of fine surface roots called called 'proteoid roots' that allow the plants to survive dry periods. The roots should not be disturbed during cultivation. I have lost several plants during transplanting for root rot proliferates in disturbed soils and root systems. Gravel is put on top of the soil to keep the soil cool. These plants grow in nutrient-poor soils so high-phosphorus and -potassium fertilizers are avoided. Every 2 weeks, I apply fish emulsion (5-1-1). With full sun, flowering of proteas takes about 3 years, 6 years for the King Protea. For more information on the native flora, visit African Garden, Botanical Society of South Africa, Cycad Pages, Enviro-Facts Guide to Fynbos, Fine Bush People, Flora of South Africa, Flora of Zimbabwe, Flora Zambesiaca, Fynbos, Fynbos Biome, Getting to Know Fynbos, Growing Proteas, Information Resources, LivingFynbos, Living Namibia, Lowland Fynbos, Montane Fynbos, PlantZAfrica.com, Protea Atlas Project, South African National Biodiversity Institute, The Treehouse, Veld Types, and Wildflowers of South Africa.