strangely attractive

i've never seen this flower before. i was so afraid to touch it. i was so afraid it would snap my camera, or worse my camera with my hand holding it, kind of like the 'little shop of horrors' thing. or maybe there's a whole bunch of carnivorous spiders inside it. but it was a pretty sight to behold. maybe if i put it outside, it'll scare the bejesus out of the damn squirrels so they won't eat my 'love in the mist' seeds that i just put on the planter by the kitchen window.

sooc, no tweaking, no cropping, just the name tag.

-o0o-

taking up the 'five weeks in may' challenge. here's the link: http://365project.org/discuss/themes-competitions/12339/5-weeks-in-may
you can join in any designated week if you're into challenging yourself.

[Pam Hawkes]

This is beautiful. What kind of flower is it?

[jmarb]

Beautiful flower and colors!

[alia_801]

Lovely shot of the strange flower! Someone gave me some of these once too. I hope they work as squirrel scarers for you!

[Denise Regan]

Looks like Protea of some sort.

[Anne ❀]

that certainly fits the bill! lovely flower, great lighting and comp. the challenges work well for you, don't they!

[Howard Steele]

Its our national flower the King protea and they grow wild all over my mountain"just to make you envious" great shot and nice to see you got a little piece of my world on your windowsill.

[karenann]

That's one of the most beautiful flowers I've seen yet! The colors are stunning ..... what a gorgeous pov. You find the most interesting objects to photograph ... you amaze me with your artistry!!

[Ann H. LeFevre]

That is some flower- but you're safe- it doesn't have any lips like the Little Shop flower did. Nice start with color. Try sprinkling cayenne pepper in your flower pots- just over the surface of the dirt. Squirrels don't like it. At least mine don't.

[summerfield]

@pamfromcalgary - well, according to howard above it's "king protea" and it's the national flower of south africa. it's fun when i learn something new everyday! thank you, pam.

@jjmarble - thank you, j. much appreciated.

[summerfield]

@alia_801 - thank you, alia. i doubt it, though. squirrels here are formidable enemies sometimes. hehehe.

@noo - yes, according to howard it's south africa's national flower. thank you, denise.

[summerfield]

@sunnygreenwood - thank you, anne. well you know me, challenge challenges me, i challenge challenge! hahaha!

@steeler - now i'm really envious! ( @danig, we go to south africa pronto!) now, howard, i'll be looking forward for a post of this flower from you. how about that? thank you, howard.

[summerfield]

@karenann - the pretty pastel pink was the attraction here, definitely. i can only imagine what your take would look like. thank you, karenann.

@olivetreeann - i must say, i am quite attracted to these strange flowers. cayenne pepper, eh. will try that for sure. thank you, ann.

[Carolyn Sue]

that is an amazing looking flower! Even before I read what you wrote, I was thinking little shop of horrors!! Cool shot -- but keep your distance -- !!! ;)

[summerfield]

@cscecil - every time i look at it, i feel like it's going to grab me and eat me up! thank you, CS.

[karenann]

Not nearly as good as yours, my friend. :)

[Livia]

Lovely protea! I recall seeing them in South Africa. They're gorgeous. Great shot. 8)

[Kathy Burzynski]

Wow I've never seen them before either, so cool looking.
FAV

[Camille Bisson]

that is an amazing blossom- were you growing that in your house? beautiful. i, too, can't wait to see the native version when Howard posts. this one is just so nice.

[summerfield]

@myautofocuslife - thank you, livia. howard indeed said it is king protea indigenous to south africa.

@myhrhelper - wow, thank you, kathy.

@catsmeowb - no, it's just a found flower arrangement. thank you, camille.

@steeler - see, now we're waiting. :-)

[Sally Ings]

Wonderful shot of the King Protea! Like Howard (@steeler) these grow wild all round the area where I live (Western Cape, South Africa). Some people in the valley even grow them for a living!

[summerfield]

@salza - thank you, sally. this is a part of one large arrangement for our reception at the office. the flowers are huge! i won't be surprised if these came directly from your country. thank you for visiting and commenting. it is much appreciated.

[Beau]

Awesome capture. That is one amazing plant. Funny, I definitely thought the same thing when I saw it...Little Shop of Horrors. "Feed me Seymour!" hahaha.