These stunning plants produce the most amazing flowers, and have beautiful foliage and are worth a go! Generally in the UK it’s advisable to bring them into a greenhouse or covered patio during the winter, but this does depend where you live. There are hundreds of types, so make sure you get detailed growing instructions when you buy.
Image 1: Silver Tree at Minak Theatre (on the left, with Echium Pininana to the right)
Image 2) close up of silver tree – look at the amazing Bark and leaves
Image 3) Protea growing in someone’s garden – thanks unknown gardener!
Care and requirements:
- Requires loamy soil, well drained, course sandy feel.
- Wind tolerant, not so tolerant of salty conditions (though the Silver Tree, Leucadendron argenteum is a bit more tolerant of wind and salt. Minak Theatre has some stunning examples of the Silver Tree, considered to be one of the most beautiful Foliage trees in the world, growing right on the edge of the sea facing cliff).
- Watering: depends on the species, but none like to live in very damp conditions, and do not like wet feet.
- Generally considered to be not hardy, but some species can tolerate temps down to -4 (especially species from around Cape Town in South Africa)