Growing for success | Sought-after proteas

By Riverside Gardens

Sep 28, 2023

Out of Africa: Protea special pink ice. Photo by Contributed

Larry Smith and the Riverside Gardens team talk all things pots, plants and pruning in their new weekly gardening column.

The availability of some varieties of plants in the garden centre can be spasmodic or seasonal; one such plant is the much sought-after protea, which is in good supply now and throughout spring.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

Proteas are closely related to banksia, grevillea, hakea and waratahs, but unlike the rest, they are not native to Australia. Proteas are from South Africa, along with the similar leucadendrons and leucospermums. They grow well in our area, requiring similar growing conditions and care.

Layers: Protea little prince. Photo by Contributed

These plants perform best in sunny positions in the garden and require good drainage. Ideally suited to sandy loam soil, they can be grown in heavier soils if attention is given to drainage by building up the garden and improving the soil by adding gypsum.

They prefer slightly acidic soil with a pH of around 5.5. Because they naturally grow in fairly depleted sandy soils, they require little to no fertiliser when grown in the ground; potted plants can be given small amounts of native-friendly slow-release fertiliser.

When pruning proteas, especially ones that have been neglected, never remove more than half of the plant leaf area and ensure that the remaining cut stems have at least 15cm of healthy foliage.

With proteas, the non-flowering stems should not be pruned, as they are next year’s flowers. Leucadendron and leucospermum plants should be pruned by removing all flowers when the colour has faded. Cut them back, leaving about 15cm of leafy stem and trim the non-flowering stems to the same height.

Beautiful: Leucospermum so suc. Photo by Contributed

Although these plants like drier soils, watering is still essential to successfully establish your plants. Once grown, your plant must have sufficient water to help produce its spectacular flowers. If your plant goes for long periods without water, you may see the flower buds turn brown and the plant fail to flower.

If you are thinking of adding some of these hardy plants to your garden, be sure to call the garden centre over the next few weeks while there is a good range available; otherwise, it might be 12 months before you get your next chance.