Protea

( PRO - tea )

At-A-Glance Information

This genus of evergreen shrubs, commonly called Sugarbush, includes species which need full sun and moderate water to do well in the landscape. Sugarbushes are native to South Africa and Australia, and produce inconspicuous flowers surrounded by colorful bracts, giving them the appearance of a colorful Artichoke. They are wonderful as cut flowers, holding their color and shape for weeks in a vase. Foliage is leathery and green, often edged with red. Use Protea shrubs to create striking focal points throughout the garden, as a drought-tolerant hedge, or in containers. They can also be grown on slopes for stabilization. Take care when planting these shrubs in the garden, as plant parts are toxic if ingested by humans or pets.

Protea Species and Varietals

Protea is the type genus for the family Protaceae, and includes about 100 distinct species. Proteas are the national flower of South Africa. The genus name Protea refers to the Greek god Proteus who could change his form at will. The best growing zones for Protea are USDA hardiness zones 9-11 or Sunset growing zones 16, 17, 21-24 and H1. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Protea compacta (Pink Protea, Bot River Sugarbush, Bot River Protea, Dense-Flowered Sugarbush)
This species has an erect habit to 6-10 feet tall and 4-8 feet wide at maturity. Leathery foliage is light green with reddish margins. Pink to rose-pink flower heads are present from spring through summer. Cultivars include 'Pink Ice' (with large silver-pink blooms to 8 feet tall, hardy), 'Trish Compacta' (with rich pink bracts with silver-white highlights and a pink center dome), 'Stately' (with upright stems and pink inflorescences, used in the commercial floral industry), 'Donna' (with vivid pink blooms used for cut flowers), and 'Pink Cream' (with pastel pink to cream dual toned bracts).

Protea cynaroides (King Protea, Honeypot, King Sugar Bush, Giant Protea)
This species reaches 3-5 feet tall and wide, with a spreading, open habit. Leaves are dark green, and midsummer to early springtime blooms are pale pink to crimson. True flowers are white, though inconspicuous. Cultivars of this species include 'Mini King' (to 3 feet tall and wide), 'Little Prince' (to 2 feet tall with rich red flower heads), 'Madiba' (with very large deep purple-red flower bracts), 'King White' (with large creamy-white flower heads), and 'Pink King' (with soft pink flower inflorescences).

​Protea eximia (Rose-Spoon Protea, Broad-Leaved Sugarbush, Broadleaf Sugarbush, Ray-Flowered Protea, Dutchess)
This species forms a dense, upright shrub reaching 6-8 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide at maturity. Leaves are silver-green. Flowers bloom in wintertime in the plant's native range, and bracts are somewhat spoon-shaped. Cultivars include 'Fiery Duchess' (with blue-grey foliage and red-pink floral bracts), 'Sylvia' (with bright pink durable flower heads; grown commercially), 'Cardinal' (with rich dark red blooms on strong stems, grown commercially), and 'Pink Duke' (with soft pink spoon-shaped bracts).

​Protea laurifolia (Grey-Leaf Sugarbush, Laurel Sugarbush, Laurel-Leaf Protea)
Upright growth to 18 feet tall and wide with blue-green foliage. Winter blooms are salmon pink with feathery black bract tips. Varieties include 'Rose Mink' (to 10 feet tall with narrow grey-green leaves and silver-pink flowers) and 'White Owl' (to 8 feet tall with dark green leaves and creamy white flower heads).

Protea neriifolia (Mink Protea, Oleander-Leaved Sugarbush, Blue Sugarbush, Oleanderleaf Protea, Narrow-Leaf Sugarbush, Bousuikerbos, Roosboom, Baardsuikerkan)
This species reaches 10 feet tall and 6-8 feet wide, with narrow, medium-green leaves and pink to salmon flower bracts that appear with blooms in fall and wintertime. Bract tips are furry and black. Withstands low soil temperatures (down to 17 degrees Fahrenheit). Cultivars include 'Late Mink' (dense and compact, to 6 feet tall and twice as wide), 'Green Ice' (cream-green to pinkish bracts), 'Silvertips' (with silver-white hairs on bract tips), 'Alba' (with pale green to cream-white inflorescences), and 'Red Robe' (with deep red-carmine bracts and dark bearded tips).

Protea susannae (Susanna Protea, Stink-Leaf Sugarbush, Stink-Leaf Protea, Stinkblaarsuikerbos)
To 8 feet tall and wide, with grey-green leaves and brown-pink flower heads that appear in fall and winter. Leaves do not smell good; strip them off before adding these flowers to cut arrangements. Plants reach up to 6-10 feet tall when mature with a spread of 10-13 feet. It has a single main stem that can reach up to 6 inches in diameter.

Caring for protea

Take care when planting these shrubs in the garden, as plant parts are toxic if ingested by humans or pets. Plant your Protea shrub in full sun (they should get between 6 and 8 hours per day). Choose a spot that also has some protection from strong, drying winds. Do not disturb roots once they are planted, and avoid using under-plantings. These shrubs like soil to be well-draining and acidic to slightly acidic (with a pH of between 5.0 and 7.0). If your soil is heavy clay, it would be beneficial to amend with plenty of organic matter, or consider planting your shrub in a raised bed or container. They are very sensitive to overwatering and prefer soil to dry out in between waterings. For the most profuse flowers, deep infrequent watering is recommended.

These shrubs adapt well to nutrient-poor soils, so do not generally need to be fertilized. If your shrub seems to be struggling with leaf-out and flowering, it may benefit from a light feeding of a low-phosphorus, slow-release fertilizer designed for acid-loving plants. These shrubs are not fans of phosphorus; they prefer the level of phosphorus in the soil to be around 20 mg/kg. Prune these shrubs after flowering to remove the spent blossoms and shape the plant. Lightly prune to promote bushier growth, but avoid any heavy prunings; these plants are slow-growing and are sensitive to aggressive pruning activities. Ensure that other plants around these shrubs are not crowding too much; they need good air circulation to perform well. Prune other trees and shrubs around them to increase air circulation.

Harvesting Protea Flowers
Take care when keeping Protea flowers indoors, as plant parts are toxic if ingested by humans or pets. Protea flowers are commonly used in cut flower arrangements, and are valued for their bold, striking look and long-lasting exotic crown-like heads. They are typically in bloom in spring and summertime and are best harvested in the morning, after dew has dried but before the heat of the day sets in. Harvest Protea flowers when the bracts are partially open. The center should feel soft and squishy, like a marshmallow. Using sharp, clean shears, cut the stem at an angle above a node. Remove the leaves from the stem that will be below the water line, and then drop the stem in a bucket of cool water. Bring a pot of water to a boil once you've brought your flowers inside, and dip the cut ends in the boiling water for a few seconds to extend their already impressive vase life. Protea flowers have a vase life of 10 to 21 days. They can also be dried.

Propagation

​Protea can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant, especially if the plant is a hybrid, and that Proteas are notoriously hard to grow from seed. Proteas grown from both cuttings and seed will take about six years to flower, so propagating these shrubs is really an exercise in precision and patience. If you are looking to have a Protea that will reach full size and flower in a short amount of time, it is best to purchase a nursery specimen. To propagate your Protea shrub, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Protea by Cutting
  1. Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with a mix of 2 parts coarse river sand and 1 part peat moss.
  2. In early autumn, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. In the early morning, cut one or more 6-8 inch semi-hardwood portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch or offshoot under a budding or flowering branch. Strip the leaves off of the lower two thirds. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot so that 1./3 of the cutting is under the soil surface. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
  3. Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots. During this time, make sure to keep an eye out for mold or fungus issues, and ensure that the cutting is receiving good airflow around it.
  4. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.

Propagating Protea by Seed
  1. Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a container filled with 1% hydrogen peroxide, a smoke primer, a pot or tray filled with a 50/50 mix of peat moss and river sand, a transparent cover for your pot or tray, a spray bottle and a fork. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
  2. Harvest your seeds. Seeds should be left on the shrub to mature for about seven months after the flowers have faded and dried. The seed pods are pretty easy to spot, they're large and are left behind where flowers once were. Cut seed heads off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will continue to release their seeds. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them. The best time to sow the seeds is in fall; store seeds until you need to use them in a cool, dark place.
  3. Protea seeds are difficult to get to germinate, but we can do a few prep steps to assist the process. First, place your stored seeds in a container filled with 1% hydrogen peroxide and soak for 10 minutes. This will ensure that the seeds are sterilized when planted. Place the seeds on a paper towel to dry. Because Protea seeds need smoke to germinate, you'll need to treat them with a smoke primer disk (follow directions on the packaging). Prepare your seed tray and plant your seeds about an inch deep and two inches apart from each other. Water well and ensure that good drainage is occurring.
  4. Place your tray of seeds in a warm (between 72 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit) area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 1-3 months from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
  5. Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.
Protea seed pods are woody structures that hold seeds safely inside until drying triggers their release.
Protea seeds are small, hard, have a dense covering of fluffy hairs or bristles that help them catch the wind or float on the water's surface.

Problems and Pests

These shrubs are relatively resistant to pests and diseases, though they can have issues with the following common garden pests:
  • Aphids
  • Scale Insects
  • Mealybugs
For information on treating these issues, including how to treat and prevent them, see the following links:
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Gallery

Use Protea shrubs in mixed beds, where their colorful flowers and foliage will stand out.
Protea shrubs should be grown around other low water-use plants.
There are many different shapes, sizes and colors of Protea flowers, and they are all wonderful for arrangements.
The dried seed heads of Protea shrubs are used to make jewelry.
Protea shrubs look great in Mediterranean-style gardens.
Protea shrubs do well in sloped areas, where drainage is excellent.

Videos

How to propagate Protea plants from cuttings.
All about Proteas!
How to plant and care for Protea plants.​
How to create the perfect soil conditions for growing Protea.

Resources

How to Plant Protea
All About Proteas, The Otherworldly Flowers Taking Over the West
Wikipedia: List of Protea Species
Plant Colorful Proteas to Brighten Up the Dreary Gloom of Winter
How to Grow and Care for Protea Plants
Wikipedia: Protea
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Pages 531 - 531, Protea