Protea mellifera
| Protea mellifera | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 9 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-6.5 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 8' |
| Width: | 8' |
| Blooms: | Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Protea mellifera (common name: sugar bush)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in individual pots in a greenhouse. See notes above on soil requirements. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Consider giving them some protection from the cold for at least their first winter outdoors.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood. July/August in a frame[1].
Cultivation: Requires a very well-drained light soil[2][3], preferably on the poor side[1], with plenty of humus and sand[2]. Requires a pH of 6.5 or lower[1]. Plants are very sensitive to nitrates and phosphates in the soil, these can prove toxic even at moderate levels[1]. Plants may also suffer from magnesium deficiency[1]. Requires a position with good air circulation[2][3], but sheltered from cold winds[1]. Dislikes warm sultry or windless days[2][3]. Requires full exposure to the sun[1].
This species is not very hardy in Britain, but it can be grown outdoors in selected areas. Plants tolerate temperatures down to about -6°c, although prolonged frosts, or frosts combined with cold dry winds will cause damage[3]. They are best grown in a cool greenhouse, but plants can be placed outdoors in the summer[2].
A very ornamental plant[2]. A good bee plant, providing an abundance of nectar[4].
Many botanists see this species as no more than a synonym for P. repens.
Plants are intolerant of root disturbance and should be grown in pots until they are planted into their final positions[2].
Range: S. Africa.
Habitat: Mountain slopes to 300 metres[5].
Edibility: The flowers are rich in nectar and this is often collected and used as a sweetener[4][6]. It can be boiled down to make a syrup and is then often used medicinally[4][6].
Medicinal: Antitussive, pectoral[4][6].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Royal Horticultural Society. The Garden Volume 113. Royal Horticultural Society, 1988.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Adamson, Robert and Terence Salter. Flora of the Cape Peninsula. 1950.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.