Protea is both the Botanical and English name and is sometimes also called Sugarbush. It was named by Carl Linnaeus in 1735, after the Greek god Proteus who could change into any form he pleased. They received their name because of the wide variety of forms and color of these flowers.

We have 81 garden varieties and they are popular as a vase flower due to their ability to last longer than most other flowers, they are also used in dried flower arrangements.

It is part of an ancient family Proteaceae, which they recon according to pollen fossils found that it existed since 75-80 million years ago.

They are quite a hardened plant and can grow in harsh dry conditions during the hot summer months as well as raining conditions and extreme cold weather. These plants can survive even wildfires.

You can find these flowers in over 20 countries. There are about 80 genera with 1600 species. Some of these species are self-pollinating and the rest use cross-pollination. Bushfires are essential for reproduction and generation of this plant.

The plant can reach a height between .35m to 2 metres. The sizes of the flower heads can vary between 120mm to 300mm in diameter. One plant produce 6-10 flowers heads per season.

The King Protea, South Africa’s National flower has the largest flower head in the genus and you can find them in the fynbos region. Our national cricket team use “The Proteas” as they nickname.

All photos taken with a Samsung Galaxy S7.

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