Proteas

Leucadendron laureolum Winter Gold is a luminous evergreen shrub that brings a warm glow to the garden all year round. Its golden-yellow foliage intensifies beautifully in the cooler months, creating a brilliant contrast against winter’s muted tones. This larger-growing, hardy shrub features bold bright-green leaves and striking yellow flower-like bracts that appear through the depths of winter, making it an eye-catching focal point in garden beds, feature pots, and water-wise landscapes. Low-maintenance and adaptable, Winter Gold thrives in a range of conditions and rewards with reliable colour and structure. Its long-lasting stems are also excellent for cut flower arrangements, adding vibrant warmth and brightness to indoor displays.

Soil: Well-drained soil.
Conditions: Full sun to part shade. Frost, drought and coastal tolerant.
Size: Height 2m x width 1.5m

Camellia japonica White Waratah presents as an elegant, upright shrub/tree with versatile uses in the garden. Its strong growth habit makes it ideal for hedging, bordering, or as a striking standalone specimen. Boasting a very old-style, semi-double anemone form, White Waratah's blooms are pure white - adding a touch of grace and charm to any landscape. With an extended flowering season, White Waratah offers a long-lasting floral display, enhancing winter and spring gardens with its elegant blooms.

Soil: Requires well-drained, compost-enriched soil; raised beds are recommended for heavy clay soils.
Conditions: Thrives in part shade to shade; tolerates morning sun until midday with adequate mulching and watering, especially during summer months.
Size: Height 3-8m+ x width 1.5-2.5m

Gembrook Telopea is a hardy and vigorous waratah that has an open habit. It has toothed green leathery leaves, and its spectacular warm red flowers appear in abundance during spring. These blooms attract a profusion of native birds and butterflies to the garden. The exquisite flowers of Gembrook are highly sought after for use in floral arrangements due to their long straight stems and the uniformity of their flower heads. After flowering, it is recommended to prune cultivated waratahs heavily once they are established.

Soil: Well-drained, acidic soil.
Conditions: Full sun protected from cold winds. Drought and frost tolerant
Size: Height 2-4m x width 1.5m

Protea neriifolia 'Frosted Fire' – a breathtaking fusion of beauty and resilience that will ignite your garden with its unique charm and vibrant colours. Protea 'Frosted Fire' captivates with its fiery red bracts tipped with a delicate touch of frosty white. These stunning flowers bloom from late winter through spring, creating a dazzling display of colour and texture that will make your garden stand out. Whether you’re aiming to create a bold focal point, enhance a mixed border, or design a distinctive hedge, Protea 'Frosted Fire' is incredibly versatile.

Conditions: Prefers full sun and is drought, coastal and moderately frost tolerant.
Soil: Well draining native soil.
Size: 2.5m H x 2m W

Protea Christine is a compact protea with an eye-catching winter display of deep pink flowers that look spectacular both on the shrub and as a cut flower. Christine is ideal for small areas, rockeries and containers. Protea Christine fits in well with low maintenance, low water use gardens, and as with all proteas, Christine is perfect as a cut flower. Avoid exotic potting mixes and fertilizers as these products can kill proteas.

Soil: Well-drained soil. With clay soils, create a mound to facilitate drainage.
Conditions: Full sun to part shade. Drought, coastal and moderately frost tolerant.
Size: Height 2.5m x width 2.5m

Protea Autumn Prince exudes magic through its vibrant salmon and lemon coloured flowers. They are on display during the cooler autumn season bringing a rich array of colours to your garden. This particular protea has a compact growing habit with flowers abundantly surrounding its dense curved green foliage. Autumn Prince makes for a spectacular addition to any garden and makes for a beautiful cut flower.

Soil: Native, free-draining soil.
Conditions: Full sun. Moderate Frost and drought tolerant.
Size: Height 0.75m x width 1m

Protea Mayday is a perfect feature plant. Showing off soft grey/green foliage and spectacular pink flowers gently tipped in white, this larger growing protea will make an elegant statement wherever it is used. The showy flowers look impressive in the garden as a feature, mass planting, or a screen. The flowers are equally beautiful in a vase freshly picked, or used as part of a dried flower arrangement. Ensure an Australian native potting mix and fertiliser is used if growing in pots, and select a pot with adequate drainage holes as these plants do not like to be waterlogged.

Soil: Well-drained soil. In heavy soils, create a mound for planting.
Conditions: Full sun to part shade. Drought, frost and coast tolerant.
Size: Height 2m x width 2m