Protea

( PRO - tea )

At-A-Glance Information

This genus of evergreen shrubs, commonly called Sugarbush, needs full sun and moderate water to flower well. They are native to South Africa and Australia, and the inconspicuous flowers are surrounded by colorful bracts, giving them the look of a colorful artichoke. They are wonderful as cut flowers, holding their color and shape for weeks. Leaves are leathery and often edged with red. They are not long-lived plants, but are beautiful while they do grow and many species are available to choose from. 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. This is a very interesting plant, as most (around 92%, to be exact) of the species occur naturally in a narrow belt of a coastal mountain range in South Africa. Proteas are the national flower of South Africa. The genus was named by Carl Linnaeus in 1935 as he was in the area studying Leucadendron argenteum plants, believing that Protea was actually just a changed form of this species. The genus name Protea refers to the Greek god Proteus who could change his form at will. The best growing zones for Protea are 16, 17, 21-24 and H1. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Protea compacta (Pink Protea, Bot River Sugarbush)
This species has an erect habit to 6-10 feet tall and 4-8 feet wide, with light green leaves. Pink to rose-pink flower heads appear in spring through summer.

Protea cynaroides (King Protea, Honeypot, King Sugar Bush)
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. Variety 'Mini King' is a dwarf variety that reaches about 3 feet tall and wide.

​Protea eximia (Rose-Spoon Protea, Broad-Leaved Sugarbush)
This species is a dense, upright grower reaching 6-8 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide, with silver-green foliage. Flowers bloom in wintertime in red, with bracts shaped like spoons.

​Protea laurifolia (Grey-Leaf Sugarbush, Laurel Sugarbush)
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 blossoms).

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). Variety 'Late Mink' is dense and compact, reaching 6 feet tall and two times as wide.

Protea susannae (Susanna Protea, Stink-Leaf Sugarbush)
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.

Protea 'Sylvia'
Hybrid species between Protea exima and Protea susannae that reaches 6-8 feet tall and just as wide, with dark grey-green leaves and rich pink flower heads that appear in late fall and winter.

Caring for and pruning protea shrubs

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. 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. Do not disturb roots once they are planted, and avoid using under-plantings. Be careful when watering these beauties; they are very sensitive to overwatering. Allow soil to dry out in between waterings; a watering every 3-4 weeks is usually sufficient . Apply a layer of mulch around the base of the plant.

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; these plants need good air circulation to perform well. Prune other trees and shrubs around them to increase air circulation.

Harvesting Protea Flowers
Protea flowers are commonly used in cut flower arrangements - and for good reason. These flowers are not only beautiful and interesting in bouquets, they are also very long-lasting. Harvest Protea flowers when they are partially open. 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. This will extend their vase life even more.

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 flat and contain many seeds.
Protea seeds.

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, 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
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
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or photos you’d like to add to the gallery, please let me know by sending me a message using the button below!
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