Protea Species, Shaving-Brush Sugarbush

Protea nitida is truly a remarkable protea. It has a long and colorful history, filled with stories all the way back to the 1700s where ...Read Moreit made life easier for settlers. Due to its huge size, it is the only species that has been used for timber. It can grow to 32 feet with a diameter of over 3 feet. The wood has been used for furniture due to its reddish color and beautiful grain, used extensively for charcoal, and the wood was even used to make wagon wheel rims and brake blocks. Its abnormally very thick bark has a history of use for tanning leather and even was used as a medicine for diarrhea. Its leaves were used to make a black ink and dye. Baboons use the flowers as a source of sugar!

This is a stunning tree in the landscape due to its beautiful glaucus color and fleshy big leaves and white shaving brush like flowers. It is classified as one of the "shaving brush protea." Though it blooms year round, most show from May thru August. It can be grown readily from its seed which is dispersed about a year after flowering. You can also use tip cuttings to start plants.

In general, the genus Protea was named after the Greek God Proteus who could assume many shapes because like him, Proteas come in so many different forms. The king protea, Protea cynaroides is the national flower of South Africa where most originate from the mountainous coastal land of Cape Flora region. They are now grown in New Zealand, Australia, California and Hawaii

Proteas will attract bees and birds to your garden. Baboons even like their sweet nectar. They are full of nectar and often are called sugarbushes. Some are so sticky from nectar, insects actually get trapped in them. I have seen flowers where there are over 20 bees in one cup. They actually bury themselves deep within them. If you stand by a big bush in full flower, there are so many bees buzzing all over it.

They grow best in full sun where the days are warm and the nights cool. Generally protea like acidic, well draining soil. You can add peat moss and bark to a good soil mix or use a soil less mixture. Add perlite or pumice to increase drainage which is most important to have. Water moderately until well established then they are somewhat drought tolerant, needing only occasional deep watering. Most can tolerate temps down to 25 if established though prefer no frost.

Protea are not heavy feeders. According to the Protea expert, Dennis Perry, they need much less fertilizer, about 1/8th to 1/4th of other plants.
Proteas like to have sulfur, magnesium and iron available to them in higher amounts than you would ordinarily use on other plants. However, phosphorus and calcium is harmful to them, so select fertilizers that are very low in these 2 nutrients. Mr. Perry suggests using Epsom Salts and Iron sulfate as soil amendments. A slow release, low phosphate fertilizer in late winter and mid summer is best. You do not want to encourage rapid growth as this may weaken the plant.

Unfortunately, seedlings from species can be difficult to keep alive due to fungal diseases. Vegetative propagation may be easier. To propagate hybrids you need to take cuttings of semi hardwood in late summer and autumn. Many root easily.

Prune after your protea flowers, removing old blooms and shaping plant. Do not prune stems that have not bloomed for these are next years blooming wood.