South African Wonder
I encountered this bizarre plant in Venice, California while out for a walk. The fairly large bush appeared ordinary enough, but the exotic blooms that covered it were remarkable. A little research informed me that the plant is known as Protea, a South African native; and there are a lot of varieties. A few of the species are able to be grown in the Southern California climate, such as this one, which had big flowers with a soft feathery rounded core.
