Protea susannae

Protea susannae

Family: Proteaceae

Common names: Stink-leaf sugarbush, stinkblaarsuikerbos

It is a large, robust, upright shrub arising from a single stem of up to 150 mm in diameter. It grows 2-3 m tall and spreads 3-4 m across. The leaves are oval, wavy and about 80-160 mm long and curl upwards. The flower heads are cup-shaped, 80-100 mm long and open up to 110 mm wide, with pink-brown involucre bracts that are covered with a sticky brown layer. Flowering time is mainly autumn-winter.

Sowing instructions: Sow seeds in autumn. Soak seeds overnight in Instant Smoke Plus Seed Primer water. Fill seed trays with a well-drained soil mixture of bark, silica sand and loam (1:2:1 mix). Scatter seeds on top of mixture and lightly cover with river sand. Water well and apply a fungicide. Keep trays moist. As the first true leaves appear, transplant the seedlings into pots in a well-drained, sandy fynbos mix. Grow on for a year before transplanting into the garden.

Locality: Ex Hort. Harvest: February 2025