Protea Compacta Bot River Protea or Sugarbush Protea compacta is a shrub with a single stem & branches. It grows up to 3.5 metres tall. in the wild The leaves are oval & heart-shaped at the base. They curl upwards around the stem. flowers The blooms are a striking pink colour & shaped like the bowl of a wineglass, the outer involucral bracts tending to fade towards the base; up to 120mm long & up 90mm in circumference, carried on long stems We Suggest all Proteas are grown in large tubs with lots of drainage in the bottom, Protea’s are not hardy in the UK so will need protecting from frost in the winter will go down to -4oC, It’s well worth the effort to grow this plant as the flowers are stunning. Sowing Advice Seed should be soaked in luke warm water for 30-60 minutes before sowing. Seeds germinate best at around 12oC. Proteas thrive in low nutrient soil consisting of 2 parts coarse sand & 2 parts peat and, if available, with added rotted & decomposed leaves. They do not thrive in any medium with high levels of phosphates. HINT: Smoke can stimulate germination. So if possible add some paper or wood ash into the compost. Proteas may take months to germinate. Thanks for looking. Protea Compacta, X5 Seeds South Africa’s National Flower, Bot River
