How to Grow and Care for Protea Plants

Protea are evergreen flowering shrubs or tall trees depending on the variety. Native to South Africa, the Protea genus with its more than 1,000 species is at home in a warm, dry climate. The goblet-shaped flowers bloom in large clusters with fluffy centers surrounded by bright and spiky bracts. Bold in color and lush in shape and texture, protea flowers are wonderful for fresh bouquets and dried arrangements. The large leaves are hard and leathery and snap rather than fold when bent.

Protea plants are toxic to humans and pets.

Protea Plant Care

Protea thrives in regions with hot and sunny climates where many other types of flowering plants might not survive. Their thick, hard leaves enable them to survive in quite harsh conditions. Here are the main care requirements for growing a protea:

• Plant in well-draining soil and avoid standing water.
• Water regularly while the plant is getting established and water established plants during periods of dry weather.
• Mulch around the plant to keep the soil cool.
• Deadhead the flowers.

Light

Provide plants with full sunlight—the more sun, the more flowers it will produce. Full sun helps protea to stay dry and kill harmful fungi that attack roots and leaves in warm, wet conditions.

Soil

Excellent drainage is a must; if necessary, improve drainage by mixing bark and grit into the soil before planting. Protea plants thrive in just about any type of soil, from sandy or rocky, to loamy. The soil should be slightly acidic, with a pH around 5.5.

The roots of protea grow almost horizontally, just below the soil surface, making them ideal plants for a rocky part of the garden. Avoid water pooling on the soil because the roots easily become waterlogged, likely causing the plant to die.

Water

Until the plant is established, water protea regularly. Established plants need water every two to three weeks in the absence of rain. After the plant is about a year old, water once a week when the weather is dry and when it sets buds and flowers.

Temperature and Humidity

Proteas tolerate temperatures as low as 23°F (sometimes lower) and as high as 100°F but die if exposed too long to extreme temperatures. To keep the soil cool, apply a layer of leaf or bark mulchbut keep it away from the trunk.

Avoid planting proteas in particularly humid climates. Good air circulation is key to plant health.

Fertilizer

Proteas usually don't need fertilizer; they do well in nutrient-poor soil and too much phosphorus kills them.

Types of Protea Plants

Notable plants in the same plant family (Proteaceae) include:

• King protea' (Protea cynaroides): This popular protea grows 3 to 5 feet tall and wide with huge flowers that resemble a crown with yellow and red flowers and pink outer tips. Popular cultivars include the compact variety 'Little Prince', and 'Special Pink Ice' with deep pink flowers.
• Pincushions (Leucospermum spp.) are similar to protea with their flowers curving upwards. They grow as low shrubs in the ground or in wide, shallow containers. If you live in a more temperate zone such as a cooler mountain region or on the coast, this type of protea may be best for your garden. These are unique among protea plants in that they self-pollinate and produce seeds.
• Spiderhead (Serruria spp.) thrive in well-draining containers, though they might not last more than one or two seasons. Popular cultivars are 'Blushing Bride', which produces gorgeous creamy flowers, and 'Pretty in Pink', the flowers of which are thought to resemble pink-cheeked bridesmaids.
• Conebush (Leucadendron spp.) is closely related to proteas. The flowers are shaped like tulips and the foliage tends to be very bright in color. 'SafariSunset' offers a vibrant red aesthetic and 'Inca Gold' comes in mellow yellow. Newer varieties include 'Burgundy Sunset' and 'Gypsy Red'.

Pruning

To encourage bushiness, prune young plants in spring and summer. Harvesting the flowers helps keep the plant neat. Remove spent flower heads along with most of the stem, allowing for new growth. Do not prune unflowered stems; they are next season's blooms.

Propagating Protea

The best way to propagate protea is from cuttings taken between December and April.

1. In the early morning when it is cool, using a sharp knife, cut from the semi-hardened side shoots below a forming bud or flower.
2. Remove the lower half of the leaves and dip the end into a rooting hormone.
3. Fill a clear perforated plant grow bag with holes with coarse sand and place the cuttings in it. Place it in a warm location but away from direct sun.
4. Mist with water several times per day until roots begin to form. This may take up to six weeks.
5. Plant in well-drained soil once roots are established.
   

Potting and Repotting

Because protea is highly sensitive to overheated soil, growing the plant in a pot can be challenging. Place the pot in a second, larger pot or wrap the pot in several layers of an insulating material and water frequently so the soil never dries out.

Protea plants need medium to large pots with excellent drainage. Use a well-draining potting mix or mix even parts of peat, gravel, and sand.

To get the most out of your protea plant, try to repot once a year.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

Proteas are quite resistant to pests. Because the leaves have adapted to conserve water, resist drought, and hold carbon and nitrogen, most insect pests tend to avoid them.

The plants are also susceptible to various fungal diseases, causing shoot blight, cankers, and die-back, but most are controllable by pruning the affected plant parts at the early stage of the infection.

How to Get Protea to Bloom

Bloom Months

The flowering period is different for every protea species and it also depends on the climate where they're growing. Some, such as the popular king protea, bloom when it's summer in their native South African habitat, which is from December to March. Because they bloom in late winter to spring, some gardeners include them in holiday wreaths.

What Do Protea Flowers Look and Smell Like?

The showy flower looks like a cylinder-shaped pincushion or firework. The unscented flowers grow in dense clusters in shades of pink, red, white, cream, and yellow.

How to Encourage More Blooms

Deadheading spent flowers helps encourage more blooms and keeps the plant look tidy.

From: thespruce