Protea cynaroides

Protea cynaroides

It is a woody shrub with thick stems and large dark green, glossy leaves. Most plants are one meter in height when mature, but may vary according to locality and habitat from 0.35 m to 2 meter’s in height. The flowerheads vary in size, from about 120 mm to 300 mm in diameter. Large, vigorous plants produce six to ten flower heads in one season, although some exceptional plants can produce up to forty flower heads on one plant. The color of the bracts varies from a creamy white to a deep crimson, but the soft pale pink bracts with a silvery sheen are the most prized.

Sowing instructions: The seed is sown in open seedbeds, in a light, well drained soil and covered with a layer of sand (about 1 cm or 1 1/2 times the size of the seed). The bed is then covered with a grid against the attacks from birds and rodents. The seed will germinate three to four weeks after sowing.

Locality: Ex Hort. Harvest: June 2024