Protea ‘Claire’
Showy, silky blooms on a fast-growing, evergreen shrub. Great in sandy/rocky soils, containers. Thrives in fog and wind. Established plants tolerate drought. Avoid phosphorus fertilizer.
 Height | 5–7ft |
|---|---|
 Width | 3–6ft |
 Tolerates | Drought, Wind |
 Water needs | Low – Moderate |
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. | |
 Hardy to | 25°F |
 Exposure | Full Sun – Part Shade |
 Plant traits | Flowering, Shrub |
 Indoor / outdoor | Outdoor |
 Drainage | In Ground: Cactus Mix, In Pots: Cactus Mix, Tolerates Sandy Soil |
 Fertilizing | Bloodmeal, Fish Emulsion, Low Needs, No Phosphorus |
 Origin | South Africa |
 California native | No |
 Sunset zones | 15–17, 20–24 |
Growing Notes
Proteas can be kept smaller by pruning, but don't 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'll likely be completely dead within a couple weeks. They do respond well to light acidic fertilizer, such as cotton seed meal, or 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.
Special Interest
Their coveted flowers on stiff stems are long-lasting after they're cut, perfect for arrangements.
The above information reflects the observations of Grubb and Nadler and our extended plant community. We always consider input from fellow horticulturists and welcome feedback from those with additional information on the culture of this plant.
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