Re: Proteas - longevity under stressed conditions

Charl de Winnaar wrote:
I have a couple of Protea cynaroides that are growing on a sandy, windy slope. They are about 4 years old and their growth has been disappointing, to say the least. They were purchased with a friend of mine who purchased similar sized plants on the occasion (at the same nursery). The difference in plant size is huge due to the different environments (she has no wind, borehole water and fertile soil) and she is already taking magnificent flowers off hers. What determines the limited lifespan of the Protea? Is it time or size i.e will these plants die off before reaching their full size but having reached their alloted three score and 10 ? Or will they live longer than expected because they will take so long to reach maturity? Charl

Three years ago a P. cynaroides which I originally grew from seed, finally died at the ripe old age of about 45 and when I enquired if this was a reasonable lifespan several people told me it was quite exceptional (around 25 being about the ususal).

We live in a mainly winter rainfall area and this bush was planted on a very dry and rocky hillside exposed to strong prevailing winds, and apart from putting large rocks around its base and watering a few times over the first three or four years the only other attention it ever got was deadheading after flowering and occasional more extensive cutting back (especially when it got so huge and heavy almost half the bush one year simply fell off).

It took several years to produce a flower (six or seven if I recall corrctly) but once started it grew with increasing energy every year and bloomed prodigeously. At the height of its vigour it could produce around fifty of its huge beautiful blooms each season.

Proteas, as far as I can gather, are best grown hard. Sure one can get a lot of quick growth and early flowering like your friend by using a rich soil and frequent watering, but I think it most likely they will have a shorter lifespan than those which, like yours, have had to struggle in their early years.

Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ.     Pictures of our garden at:-
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NEW PICTURES ADDED 4/Feb/2004

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