About Protea witzenbergiana E.Phillips
This species of shrub has a spreading growth habit, reaching up to three metres across and half a metre in height. It flowers from autumn to early winter, between March and June, with peak flowering occurring in April and May. It is endemic to the Western Cape province of South Africa, where its distribution ranges from the Cederberg, through the Koue Bokkeveld Mountains and the Witzenberg, east to the Hex River Mountains and the Bokkerivier Mountains. It can be found growing in the area near the towns of Tulbagh and Ceres. It bears some morphological similarity to the species Protea pityphylla and Protea pendula. In its native ecosystem, wildfires will kill the mature shrub, but its seeds are able to survive fire events. The species is monoecious, with each individual flower containing both male and female sexual organs. Pollination is thought to be most likely carried out by rodents. After seed release, the seeds are dispersed by wind. It grows on mountain slopes at altitudes between 750 and 1,800 metres.
