Hey all...found this 5 year old forum perchance. I'm from Cape town South Africa... Proteas are group of genera in the family Proteaceae... Almost all of the Proteas that you grow are indeed from a region in the Western Cape of South Africa as part of the Cape floristic Kingdom... Or fynbos.
The Proteas you get in bridal bouquets and that are enjoyed as cutlowers are general the leucospermums, pin cushions and the other species, most notably the King Protea.
The Australian families grevillea, Waratahs and banksias etc are not as popular.
There's a lot of literature but you have to have wet winters (most never freezing winters) and very dry and warm to hot summers in order to grow Proteas successfully. Too much nitrogen and phosphorus can definitely kill Proteas that's why they don't require any fertilizer... Humidity in the warmer months will kill most Proteas as will frost.
You should be able to find recipes on how to prepare your soil for Proteas, on YouTube etc...
Where I live they grow naturally on the mountains and are spectacular...
As a South African it is my duty to inform you how unique they are to South Africa.. and the Western Cape especially. We have about 300 species of Protea. But I do hope u have success. I know there are some people that grow them outside of South Africa, even in colder climates but they are extremely labour intensive to grow outside of South Africa.
