Growing Proteas

Did you know California is one of five Mediterranean-climate regions on the earth where proteas are grown? It’s true! And since autumn tends to be the ideal planting time… we have a few growing tips for you.

• Plant in a sunny location where the air flows freely around the plant. 
• Planting on slopes or slightly elevated mounds is often beneficial because water runoff decreases drainage problems. 
• Proteas flourish in sandy, acidic, well-drained and rocky soils. 
• Dig a hole twice the size of the pot the plant came in. Be sure to break up the soil that is removed from the hole to soften its texture. 
• Never disturb the soil around the roots. 
• Water deeply once a week for the first two years after planting. 
• Apply mulch like bark or wood chips around the plant (a slight distance from the stem) as it helps control weed growth and keeps the soil cool. 
• Fertilizers are not necessary as proteas grow naturally in very nutrient-poor soils.

Wondering how to prune your protea plants to keep them happy and ensure a bountiful harvest once they’re established? First, be sure to pick the flowers as it’s the best way to keep plants neat and compact. Remove the blooms with a good length of stem, leaving new growth behind. To encourage bushy growth… prune only the flowered stems as the un-flowered stems are next season’s blooms.

Fall’s Fabulous Flush

It takes just a peek out in the fields to remind us that fall has, indeed, made its way to this side of the equator. I always find that the sky is prettiest in the autumn, it seems to take on a warm golden glow that reminds me of the word ‘harvest’. That awareness as nature yields its final flush and soon the fields will begin anew - is always a hint to take pause and reflect.

There’s something so magical about this time of the year. The bountiful plants standing tall with blooms reaching high into the autumn sky, protea by the arm loads gathered into glorious bundles and pickups overflowing with the day’s yield. Fall’s fabulous flush is a cause for celebration and the ideal time to share the ambiance of the season harvest. Each gorgeous protea transforms everyday life here on the farm — growing, harvesting, and even transporting—into works of art.

Autumn...the year's last, loveliest smile. - William Cullen Bryant

Fall Must-Have: Grandicolor

Grandicolor. This unique and alluring Protea is a mix of grandiceps and aurea, a rare combo to say the least. Shades of cream play across the bracts as they deepen to peach at the base. Bi-color pink and white lashes provide a delicate edging to the rusty-red center. Silvery-green egg-shape foliage with a leathery feel vigorously adorn the long and straight stem.

Just when you think your fall floral collection is complete, Grandicolor blooms. Designs rich in these early-autumn blooms reflect the spirit and joy of the upcoming holiday season. Plus, these exquisite, medium sized blooms can be tucked in and added to just about any fall arrangements — they’re chic, colorful, and just in time.

Protea Grandicolor

Current obsession: Grandicolor. This gorgeous protea is a mix of grandiceps and aurea… an unusual and unique combo to say the least. The cream bracts deepen to peach at the base and there is delicate pink + white lashes that surround the rusty-red center. The egg-shape foliage is small and leathery with a silvery-green hue and the stems straight and upright. Grandicolor produces exquisite, medium sized blooms off and on from autumn through spring. Dainty, cute and yeah, PERFECT for fall designs!

In the Field: Protea Grandicolor

The protea fields are more colorful this fall thanks to 'Grandicolor’.
A cross of P. grandiceps and P. aurea, this hybrid cultivar from Australia combines features from both parent plants in a unique combination. The greenish-cream bracts, which deepen to tan at the base, have a delicate pinkish rim and conspicuous hairs like the grandiceps and surround rusty-red centers. The egg-shape foliage is small and leathery with a silvery-green hue and the stems straight and upright like the aurea. Grandicolor produces dainty, medium sized blooms off and on from autumn through spring.

New in the Field: Grandicolor

Our fields are looking a little more colorful these days thanks to ‘Grandicolor’, a new hybrid protea from Australia. This beautiful cultivar is a combination of P. grandiceps and P. aurea, a very unusual and unique cross to say the least. Its greenish-cream bracts, which deepen to peach at the base, have a delicate pinkish rim and conspicuous hairs like the grandiceps and surround rusty-red centers. Grandicolor produces dainty, petite blooms off and on from autumn through spring. The egg-shape foliage is small and leathery with a silvery-green hue and the stems straight and upright like the aurea.

From our field to the vase Grandicolor lives up to its name!