Protea susannae
stink-leaf sugarbush
4-inch flowers in pink/red/bronze appear over winter on vigorous upright shrub perfect for sandy coastal gardens or in pots where clay soil prevails. No phosphorus fertilizer.
 Altura | 6–10 pies |
|---|---|
 Ancho | 8–12 pies |
 Tolera | Sequía, Viento |
 Riego | Bajo – Moderado |
Proteas are well adapted to our Mediterranean climate, making them carefree plants with bountiful rewards. After a few years, when your protea is established, it will want deep watering every couple weeks, though it will tolerate more if the drainage is excellent. Protea respond very poorly to clay soils, especially if they are overwatered. If you just have to plant one in your clay garden, mounding or planting on a slope can help. Also amending with liberal minerals such as lava or pumice helps. | |
 Resiste hasta | 26 °F |
 Exposición | Pleno sol – Sombra parcial |
 Características | Con flores, Barrera visual, Arbusto |
 Interior / exterior | Exterior |
 Drenaje | En el suelo: mezcla para cactus, En maceta: mezcla para cactus, Tolera suelo arenoso |
 Origen | Sudáfrica |
 Nativa de California | No |
 Zonas Sunset | 14–24 |
Notas de cultivo
Considered one of the easiest proteas in cultivation, thriving in various PH soil, from acid to alkaline. This vigor stops with clay soils however, which this plant does not tolerate.
Proteas can be kept smaller by pruning, but do not prune more than two years of growth where there are no leaves and the branches are woody. Proteas can even be espaliered or pruned into a loose informal screen.
By tip-pinching buds early on (each time they have grown a few leaves), you can force your protea to become more dense. Since they bloom on the terminal buds, this will delay flowering.
Proteas have evolved to live in very poor soils, and so they should never have phosphorus fertilizer, which many a grower has learned the hard way. If you give your protea all-purpose fertilizer, it will likely be completely dead within a couple weeks. They do respond well to nitrogen fertilizers such as blood meal and fish emulsion. Generally its better to sit back and see how the plant grows without fertilzier, which is typically not needed.
Interés especial
When crushed the leaves of this plant smell of sulfur, giving it the common name stink-leaf sugarbush. Not to worry though, typically the plant doesn't have a sulfurs odor!
Their coveted flowers on stiff stems are long-lasting after they're cut, perfect for arrangements.
Enlaces
Esta información refleja las observaciones de Grubb and Nadler y de nuestra comunidad de amantes de las plantas. Siempre tomamos en cuenta las aportaciones de otros horticultores y agradecemos los comentarios de quienes tengan más información sobre el cultivo de esta planta.
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