The King Protea (Protea cynaroides) is no doubt the king of its family, as its large pale pink to cream bowl-shaped flowers are about 25cm across. The buds alone are a delight, increasing with each passing day as they open wider. The leaves are glossy, smooth and spatulate, the leaf edges surrounded by a narrow, red margin.

General information on Protea:
South African Proteas don’t make it easy for producers and owners to grow them because they are very demanding in terms of growing conditions. In return, they fascinate with flowers that one would like to preserve forever. Proteas grow mostly bushy and loosely branched. They are evergreen by nature, but in our climate often drop a good part of their leaves. As with Pincushions (Leucospermum), a well-drained, sandy, low-nutrient soil that is not prone to waterlogging and has a low pH of 4 to 6 is important for a long life of these exclusive plants when cultivated in pots or conservatories. Keep soil moisture at a consistently low level, but do not allow the roots to dry out. The best spot for a Protea is a sunny but not too hot place with constant air movement. Proteas originate from open hillsides and are not used to stuffy, moist air. Use a phosphate free fertilizer.

Quality: extraordinary & large & colorful inflorescences; evergreen
Use: all year round in a conservatory