First recorded in 1773, the Serruria Florida, a well-known plant belonging to the Proteaceae family, is now threatened in its natural habitat by invasive plants and fire.

It occurs on the Franschhoek side of the Hottentots Holland mountains where soils are of a granite origin. The common name – Blushing Bride – has been ascribed to many different folklore interpretations, although it must be said that the flower does resemble a bridal gown. Blushing Brides are small (approximately 1 m tall and equally as wide), evergreen shrubs with finely-dissected foliage covering their many branches.

Serruria have fine, needle-like leaves that are spread across the majority of the plant. 

During late winter and spring the branches are tipped with terminal flowers, singly or in clusters of up to eight per stem. The delicate beauty of the smallish, ivory to pink-shaded flowers is probably best described by the photographs. 

They are truly one of the most attractive of all our South African Proteaceae family.

Serruria was named in honor of Joseph Serrurier, a professor of botany at the Utrecht University early in the eighteenth century. It is called spiderhead in English and spinnekopbos in Afrikaans, because of the silky, finely divided leaves looking like they are covered in spiders webs.