Springtime in the Back Yard

Leucospermum (Protea family) blooming in the back yard. While it would be inaccurate to say that the back yard is "awash" in flowers, there are a lot of fun things blooming. The Leucospermum have been in bloom for a week or two now and the hummingbirds have been busily pollinating them. The seeds will actually germinate as well although I haven't actually raised any up past seedling stage.

All Fur and Gloss

Red Pincushion Protea. Wow. This thing is all fur and red gloss. It's pretty amazing. It makes you wonder what all the hairs are for. Did it protect the flowers from UV at high altitudes? Did it keep bugs off of certain parts of the flower? Do the hairs force the bugs to travel in a particular direction (doesn't look like that is the case but you never know)? It's fun to wonder.