To dry them for flower arrangements, simply pick them at their brightest and biggest, snip off the bottom leaves, and hang them upside-down indoors in a dark place with decent air circulation for about two weeks. Because they bloom in late winter to spring, some gardeners include them in holiday wreaths.
Light
Provide plants with lots of air circulation and full sun—the more sun, the more flowers.
Soil
Protea plants need very well-draining soil. If the soil drains well, they will thrive in just about any type of soil, from sandy, rocky, or loamy. The plant’s roots can grow almost horizontally, just below the soil surface, making them ideal plants for a rocky part of the garden. Avoid letting water sit on the soil because the roots can become waterlogged, likely causing the plant to die. When planting proteas outdoors, increase drainage by mixing bark and grit into the soil.
Water
While plants are starting to become established, water them regularly. Water established plants just every two to three weeks. 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
When planted in the correct climate and hardiness zone noted for the specific variety, proteas can tolerate temperatures as low as 23 degrees Fahrenheit (sometimes lower). They can also tolerate temperatures as hot as 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but can die if exposed too long to temperatures any higher. Avoid planting proteas in particularly humid zones.
Fertilizer
Proteas usually don’t need fertilizer. Too much phosphorus can actually kill them. Because the roots are so shallow, take extra care not to disturb them. Apply a mulch of leaves or bark away from the trunk. Gently pull any weeds by hand.
Types of Protea Plants
‘King Protea’ (Protea cynaroides L.), which resembles a crown, and symbolizes beauty and resilience, is a well-known member of this genus (and South Africa’s national flower). ‘King Protea’ has yellow and red flowers with pink outer tips. One popular compact variety is protea ‘Little Prince’, and another beloved type of protea that blooms bountifully is called ‘Special Pink Ice’. Most protea plants do not self-pollinate. However some close cousins in the Leucospermum and Serruria genus can self-pollinate and produce seed.
Leucospermums are also called pin-cushion proteas because their flowers curve upwards. Grow them as low shrubs in the ground or welcome them to a planter arrangement 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.Serrurias protea include the cultivars ‘Blushing Bride’, which produces gorgeous creamy flowers, and ‘Pretty in Pink’, the flowers of which are thought to resemble pink-cheeked bridesmaids. Serruria protea plants grow well in well-draining containers, though they might not last more than one or two seasons.
Pruning
Bold in color and lush in shape and texture, protea flowers are wonderful for fresh bouquets and for dried arrangements. Harvesting the flowers helps keep the plant neat. Remove spent flower heads along with most of the stem, allowing for new growth. To encourage bushiness, prune young plants in spring and summer. Do not prune unflowered stems; they are next season’s blooms.
Potting and Repotting
For potted proteas, mix even parts peat, gravel, and sand. They do well in nutrient-poor soil.
Common Pests and Plant Diseases
Proteas are quite resistant to pests. These woody evergreens are neither herbaceous nor annual. Leaves are large, hard, and leathery. When bent, a mature leaf tends to snap rather than fold. Because the leaves have adapted to conserve water, resist drought, and hold carbon and nitrogen, most insect pests tend to avoid them.
