Flower news
DiscoveriesUW-River Falls professor discovers new orchid species in PalauIn bloomSeeds for spring blooms are available for freeFloristryThis Family-Owned Florida Florist Is Celebrating 50 Years—Here’s The Secret To Their Blooming SuccessGardensFalling glass and ‘decapitated’ plants: the race to protect Edinburgh botanic garden’s plantsGardensHow to create a vibrant cutting gardenIn bloomColorful wildflowers bloom across Chile's Atacama DesertIn bloomColorful wildflowers bloom across Chile's Atacama Desert in wake of 'super' El NiñoFloristryHoltschlag Florist and Frericks Gardens mergeGardensNew York Botanical Garden event explores how crop diversity could shape the future of foodGardensNew York Botanical Garden event explores how crop diversity could shape the future of foodDiscoveriesUW-River Falls professor discovers new orchid species in PalauIn bloomSeeds for spring blooms are available for freeFloristryThis Family-Owned Florida Florist Is Celebrating 50 Years—Here’s The Secret To Their Blooming SuccessGardensFalling glass and ‘decapitated’ plants: the race to protect Edinburgh botanic garden’s plantsGardensHow to create a vibrant cutting gardenIn bloomColorful wildflowers bloom across Chile's Atacama DesertIn bloomColorful wildflowers bloom across Chile's Atacama Desert in wake of 'super' El NiñoFloristryHoltschlag Florist and Frericks Gardens mergeGardensNew York Botanical Garden event explores how crop diversity could shape the future of foodGardensNew York Botanical Garden event explores how crop diversity could shape the future of food
Phool

🇨🇲 The flowers of Cameroon

9 pages from Cameroon: its flowers, the things made with them and the places to see them, across 2 cities and regions.

Cameroon is home to over 8,000 plant species, including many flowers and trees unique to its borders. Its plant life thrives in rainforests, savannas, and highland grasslands, shaped by a mix of tropical climates and varied landscapes. The country stands out for its high number of endemic species and large areas of protected forest.

  • Cameroon has 8,260 recorded plant species.
  • 156 plant species are unique to Cameroon.
  • Rainforests in the south feature trees up to 60 meters tall.
  • Montane grasslands and bamboo grow above 1,800 meters.
  • Protected areas cover about 12% of the country.

The plant life of Cameroon

Cameroon's plant life is shaped by its tropical climate and diverse terrain, ranging from humid coastal rainforests to highland grasslands and northern savannas. The country supports more than 8,000 known plant species, making it one of Africa's richest areas for biodiversity. Dense forests cover much of the south, while the north features drier woodlands and open grasslands. Many of these forests are home to tall trees, some reaching up to 60 meters, and are draped with mosses and epiphytes. The country's varied elevations and climates create habitats for a wide range of flowering plants.

From region to region in Cameroon

Plant communities in Cameroon change with the landscape. The southern lowlands are covered in evergreen rainforest, while the central region has semi-deciduous forests. In the north, savannas with scattered trees dominate. Highlands above 900 meters support submontane and montane forests, and at the highest points, grasslands and bamboo thickets appear. Along the coast, mangrove forests line the estuaries and river mouths.

Flowers to know in Cameroon

Cameroon has 156 plant species found nowhere else. Its rainforests are known for towering mahogany, ebony, and sapelli trees. The highlands support unique afromontane plants, which are species adapted to African mountains. Some of these are only found in the Cameroonian Highlands, a region recognized for its rare and endangered flora. The country’s forests also host a variety of epiphytes—plants that grow on other plants for support.

Threats and protection in Cameroon

Cameroon's forests are shrinking, with forest cover dropping over recent decades. Population growth and farming put pressure on highland and lowland habitats, especially in areas with rare plants. Protected areas now cover about 12% of the country, and there are plans to increase this. Some regions, like the Cameroonian Highlands, are considered at risk and have little strict protection.

Where this page comes from

The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "Wildlife of Cameroon", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Phool rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

Cities and regions of Cameroon

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly bunch

Every Monday: what is in bloom, the flower festivals of the week, seven flowers you may not know and one tradition explained.