Proteas are intriguing plants in more ways than I can describe. We took a brief look at them yesterday. They are a large family and South Africa’s national flower. It is a protected species and are even grown commercially. We will look at a few of the more common types of Protea, in this article.

1. Protea Aristata  (Ladismith Protea)
A large flowerhead of pink, or red leaves, filled with deep pink hairs, which appear in mid-summer, with a circumference of 2M (78 ins). The stems are covered with pine-like foliage. This is a hardy shrub, but requires good soil and moisture throughout the year.

2. Protea Barbigera (Giant woolly-beard)
A big bush that spreads to almost 2M circumference. It has a large flower of 15cm (6 ins)  filled with soft hairs and tipped with a black “spot,” in the centre. The colour of the bloom is usually pink, but there is also a yellowish-cream variety. These are the most beautiful of all the proteas, but not easily grown.

3. Protea Compacta (Bot River Protea)
This grows quickly, to a 3M tall bush (10 ft),  flowering throughout winter. It has pink, cup-shaped flowers, which are 12cm in length, and are often seen in the florists.
The bush requires to be supported by a stake, when young and still establishing itself.
The foliage of this protea goes black, after a few days of being in a vase.

4. Protea Cynaroides (King/giant protea)
This only grows to a bush measuring about 1to 2M, so is therefore suitable for small gardens. This protea bears the largest flower in it’s species, reaching 27cm wide (11 ins) when fully opened. It has colours of wide-open pink, or red flowerheads, which are filled with a cone of silvery hairs. It prefers to be positioned  in a warm area , well moistened at all times. There are several types of the Protea Cynaroides and a miniature one as well. The leaves of this protea are easily recognized, as each leaf has a red stalk.

5. Protea Eximia (Protea Latifolia) – (Ray-flowered protea)
This large 2-3m shrub is very attractive when matured. The flowers, when opened, have narrow, spoon-shaped, pink bracts, that bloom in spring.

6. Protea Grandiceps (oval leafed or peach protea)
This is a 2m bush, that has flowers of 15cm long. It has inward curving, reddish-pink bracts, tipped with white hairs, and broad leaves, that are edged with red. Although slow-growing, it is well worth investing in.

7. Protea Nana (protea rosacea) – (Mountain Rose, Skaamblom)
This shrub requires a well-drained, sandy, sunny area to grow in. This is not easily grown in the summer rainfall areas and succumbs to severe frost. It grows to a shrub of 1m, with needle-like leaves and 6cm wine-coloured, hanging blooms, that appear very delicate.

8. Protea Nerifolia (Oleander) – (leaved protea)
This is one of the easiest and quickest growing of all the proteas. It grows to be a rounded bush of about 3 M and flowers throughout winter. The narrow, 15cm long pink blooms, have bracts which are tipped with black fur. The centre is filled with purplish hairs. There is also a cream variety.

I have mentioned only a few species of proteas, and have tried to give a bit of detail on each. I’m busy with a book on proteas, but that is not ready yet.

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Sally Robson is a South African Internet marketer, who together with her husband Derek, have a vision of empowering all fellow South Africans and other non U.S folk, to have equal opportunity and success on the internet, by overcoming the many obstacles facing them. They have started a string of sites, resources, courses and articles, as part of Dersalsites. Sally has a passion for gardening. For more articles and advice on gardening topics, visit Sally at: http://www.dersalsites.com/sallysgardeningtips/ 

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