Protea nerifolia Seeds (Oleanderleaf Protea)

Family: Proteaceae.
Common names: oleanderleaf protea, baardsuikerbos, baardsuikerkan, blousuikerkan

This is a large ornamental shrub with a fairly long flowering time, producing large flowers, varying in colour from creamy-green through silvery pink to deep carmine. A 'beard' of purple-black to pure white hairs sets off the colour of the inner bracts. Protea neriifolia is an excellent plant for the garden and an outstanding and long lasting cut flower.

Protea neriifolia is part of an ancient plant family, the Proteaceae, which had already divided into two subfamilies before the break-up of the Gondwanaland continent about 140 million years ago. Both the Proteoideae and the Grevilleoideae occur mainly in the southern hemisphere. In southern Africa there are about 360 species, of which more than 330 species are confined to the Cape Floral Kingdom, between Nieuwoudtville in the northwest and Grahamstown in the east. Protea neriifolia belongs to the genus Protea, which has more than 92 species, subspecies and varieties. Other well-known genera of the Proteaceae are: Leucospermum, known as pincushions because of their brightly coloured flowers, Leucadendron, the conebushes, with yellow or red-brown foliage and Serruria, of which Serruria florida, the blushing bride, is the most famous, its pale pink flowers making it much sought after for bridal bouquets.

The amazing variety in the size and habit of the plants, and in the size, colour and shape of the flowers of the genus Protea was the reason it was named after the Greek god Proteus, who could change his shape at will. The leaves of Protea neriifolia are most often bright- or dark green and look quite like the leaves of the oleander (Nerium oleander). This accounts for the species name neriifolia, which means 'with leaves resembling those of the oleander'.

Protea neriifolia was first discovered in 1597, was illustrated in 1605, and has the distinction of being the first protea ever to be mentioned in botanical literature. It took quite a while before it was officially recognised as a distinct species by the botanists and it was only described and named in 1810. Enthusiastic horticulturists in the meantime had already succeeded in growing Protea neriifolia in glasshouses in Europe and in 1811 an illustration of a plant grown to flowering size in the Herrenhaus Gardens near Hanover, Germany, was published. During the early nineteenth century it was possible to buy cream or pink flowering plants from a nursery in England and Protea neriifolia could be found in many private collections.

The variability in altitude and locality has led to a wide variation in both flower colour and flowering time. The flowering time is between February and November with the plants in the western part of the range flowering during autumn and winter (February to July), and the plants in the eastern range flowering during spring and early summer (August to November). These characteristics are quite stable and this provides commercial growers with a wide choice for their particular markets. The 'flowers' of Protea neriifolia are actually flower heads with a collection of flowers in the centre, surrounded by large colourful bracts. The flowers are pollinated by scarab beetles, protea beetles and many other insects, as well as by birds. The birds are attracted by both the nectar and the insects visiting the flowers.