Protea caffra
Protea caffra
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
A plant of the subtropics to the tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 2,100 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 15 - 25°c, but can tolerate 10 - 30°c[1]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 400 - 900mm, but tolerates 300 - 1,000mm[1]. The cultivation of this species has proved to be very difficult. The plant is very sensitive to root disturbance, it is best to avoid any cultivation around the base of the plant[2]. Requires a sunny position[1]. Grows best in a well-drained, sandy to loamy soil of low fertility[1]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 7, tolerating 4.5 - 8[1]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[1]. Plants can succeed in areas where there are regular bush fires[2]. The flowers are a very rich source of nectar[1].
Propagation
Seed - Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Protea+caffra>
Pollinators
Birds, Bees, Beetles
References
- [1]Ecocrop — http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home ↩︎Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
- [2]PlantZAfrica.com — http://www.plantzafrica.com ↩︎An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants.
- [3]African Flowering Plants Database — Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques. · http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php ↩︎Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.