The Protea Flower

The Flower That Can Change Its Form

Protea is the Botanical as well as the Common Name for a Member of the Proteaceae Family.
Ancestors of the Protea flower grew 300 million years ago on the supercontinent known as Gondwanaland.

Botanist as well as visitors to the hilly coastline of South Africa, which is known as the Cape Floristic Region found Protea growing in the wild next to other exotic species.

The species was introduced to Europe in the 18th century and in 1735 the Zoologist, Carl Linnaeus, named the flower Protea after the Greek god Proteus who could change his form at will.

Scientific Name

The Proteaceae family is actually divided into two subfamilies: The Proteoideae of South Africa and the Grevilleodeae of South America and Australia as well as small areas in Eastern Asia. Ninety-two percent of all species are only found in the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa, which is the mountainous coastline between Clanwilliam and Grahmanstown.

Some botanists claim that the rich diversity of Protea plants is the result of the landscape in South Africa. That landscape causes plant isolation. Gradually they develop into another species, but other botanists say the diversity is created by another form of consciousness that exists in plant reality.

Geographic Origin

Some botanists claim that the rich diversity of Protea plants is the result of the landscape in South Africa. That landscape causes plant isolation. Gradually they develop into another species, but other botanists say the diversity is created by another form of consciousness that exists in plant reality.

Description and Characteristics

There are so many anomalies associated with the Protea plant. One of the most interesting facts about the Protea flower is the fact that flower is actually a group of individual flowers that are united on a receptacle or rounded base.

What looks like petals of the flower are modified leaves, which are called involucral bracts. If one looks inside these floral bracts you’ll see a group of long narrow flowers joined together in a center.

Each Protea flower is made up of petals in four segments. Three of them are fused together to form a sheath. When the flower opens the fourth segment exposes the style. The anthers are located in a slight depression near the tip of the petal segments. The inner series of flowers are usually creamy white or pink and they are shaped oblong to linear depending on the species.

Meaning

The National Flower of South Africa
King Protea is the celebrated national flower of South Africa so it is a highly sought after exotic flower that’s used in various cultural ceremonies and social settings.

The species is now one of the most popular flowers found in botanical gardens and collections. In their native habitat they range in color. Pink, white, yellow, green, orange, and red are the most common.

Cultivation and Care

Since the Protea can be pollinated by the wind, insects, rodents, and birds the ancients believed that these flowers were a symbol of those pollinators in flower form.

Sugarbirds and Sunbirds are credited with most of the bird pollination, and the Scarab and Rover Beetles are the insects that help nurture Proteas, and rodents like mice, rats, gerbils and shrews are attracted to the musky smell and the syrup-like nectar that is secreted in large quantities. The wind only accounts for the pollination of ten species of Proteas in South Africa. Those ten do not secret nectar.

Growing Climate
Protea seeds or cuttings should be planted well-drained and warm soil and kept in temperatures that hover around 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. They usually take about ten weeks to germinate. Small plants should be protected from low humidity and direct sunlight.

Protea generally do well in foggy subtropical climates, and in warm tropical climates. Protea can withstand some frost and an occasional freeze, but it prefers warm climates. It will grow in full sun with a moderate amount of water, and well-drained soil. The soil should be moderately acidic and low in phosphates.

Diseases and Pests

Most species of Protea are not plagued with pesky insects or unusual diseases. The leaf roller caterpillar is its biggest nemesis, and scale insects can produce sooty mould. If the humidity is too high mould may be an issue, but good ventilation and not overcrowding the plants are effective solutions and so is a regular spraying of a natural fungicide.

Uses

Many of the undomesticated varieties are not suited for commercial use, but the farm grown varieties of Protea make excellent long-lasting cut flower arrangements. Some species like the Leucadendron and the Banksia produce cones or seed heads, which can be used in dried arrangements. Landscapers like to use Protea in hillside gardens as well as in garden beds.

Medical Uses

The medical uses for Protea range from a cough syrup ingredient to clearing up chest disorders. The Protea Caffra is used to cure stomach ulcers and diarrhea. The South Africans have several medical uses for Protea. For years the syrup or nectar was used as a sugar substitute and for curing coughs, but those practices peaked in the early 1800s.

The Sugarbush is a Symbol of the New Millenium

The Protea is a symbol for a new attitude that is infiltrating the minds of 21st century non-conformists. The Protea ability to change and still keep the integrity of the species has made it an element of contrast within a field of sameness.

Like to lotus it represents diversity and inner strength, and that essence is captured in new landscape and architectural designs. The features of this incredible species continue to change and we continue to enjoy and mirror that change.