HAWAII AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION UNIVERSITY of HAWAII RESEARCH BULLETIN 147 APRIL 1970 CONTENTS Page
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HAWAII AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII RESEARCH BULLETIN 147 APRIL 1970 CONTENTS Page . Proteas: What They Are 5 Descriptions of Selected Proteas -________________________________ 8 Proteas Suggested for Landscape U se ---------- 12 Proteas Suggested for Cut Flowers ~__________________________________________________________ 16 Propagation of Proteas 17 Seedage _____________________________________________________ ______________________________________ _______________________ 17 Cuttings 17 Gr aft ing .. .____________________________________________________________________________________ 18 Cultivation of Proteas 19 Soil 19 Planting ._______________ ___ 19 Pruning __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 20 l\I.[ar}(eting 2() J:)emGlIld 2() Price -_. _ 21 Economics of Production - -_ 21 Potential Outlets -_ __ _ 22 Sources of Seeds and Plants 22 References _____ ___ ____ ___ __ ____ ___ ___ __ ____ ____ _ _ _ __ _ __ __ __ _ __ __ 23 Proteas under Evaluation at Kula 24 PLANT NAMES All scientific plant names are based upon the 1969/1970 Index Seminum of the National Botanic Gardens of South Africa. Synonyms are those currently being used commercially. Readers working with older plant listings may find selected former species names for proteas on the back cover of this publication. THE AUTHORS Donald P. Watson is Specialist in Horticulture, Hawaii Cooperative Exten sion Service,and Professor of Horticulture, College of Tropical Agriculture, University of Hawaii. Philip E. Parvin is Associate Horticulturist and Superin tendent, l\I.[aui Branch Station, Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station, Kula, l\I.[aui. PHOTO CREDIT Grateful acknowledgment is made to South African Airways for the color photography which they have contributed to this publication. CULTURE OF ORNAMENTAL PROTEAS by DONALD P. WATSON and PHILIP E. PARVIN This project was made possible by the McInerny Foundation in Honolulu. SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS King protea (Protea cynaroides) . 4 CULTURE OF ORNAMENTAL PROTEAS Donald P. Watson and Philip E. Parvin Proteas: What They Are evidence of the great variation within "Protea" refers to any member of the family. the family' Proteaceae, which includes Silky oak (Grevillea robusta) or over 1500 species of trees, shrubs and "oka-kilika," used widely in the Islands herbs from the southern hemisphere, for reforestation; macadamia (Macada especially Australia and South Africa. mia integrifolia), introduced in 1890 All members of South A f ric a n and planted for its edible nuts; fire Proteaceae are woody evergreens, wheel tree (Stenocarpus sinuatus), usually with entire, leathery, and often with scarlet, wheel-like flowers, rarely hairy leaves; and are not indigenous to seen but a spectacular ornamental; and any other parts of the world. kahiliflower (Grevillea banksii) or Proteas are outstanding because. of "ha'iku" are some members of the their style of -growth and the architec family that have been grown in Ha tural quality of their flowers. wall. Typifying the great variation found The genus Protea is characterized by among the genera in this family, the large bracts, often brightly colored, sur term "protea" was derived from the rounding a composite flower. These sea-god Proteus who could readily bracts may be smooth or pubescent change into any form he chose. The (covered with velvety hair). Some spe- small individual flowers of the large cies have bracts tipped with dark "fur" macadamia tree, the huge flowers of and are called "bearded." The pre the king protea, or the yellow-, red-, or dominate color in this genus is pink amber-colored flowers of the ground with occasional albinos. Other colors hugging, creeping pincushion provide are reds and more rarely greens. 5 Protea, the national flower of SO~_lth possibilities of economic importance Africa, refers especially to Protea for these plants. She stated: cynaroides, the giant or king protea "The fact that the South African which has flowers up to 1 foot in dia Proteaceae have lately been grown meter. under a variety of conditions has Protea repens, sugarbush, with its once again focused the eyes of rosy-tipped, sticky bracts forming an the world on them. Already an urn, Leucospermum cordifolium, nod anxious competition to be first in ding pincushion, with pink, yellow or the world market has set in. I anl orange dome-shaped flowers, and Leu not only judging from reports in cadendron argenteum, silver tree, with the Press and froln enquiries made its glistening, grayish-blue foliage, are through the various embassies but other popular proteas from Africa. also from numerous letters re ceived in recent months from Potential for Hawaii places as far apart as Hongkong, Many years ago, few people would Chicago, Towoomba, Dresden and have thought that Hawaii-grown mac Nairobi, not to nlention places in adamia nuts would whet the appetite regions such as Western Australia, of gourmets all around the world. Mac New Zealand, California and adamia, however, is but one highly Southern Europe, where one would esteemed member of the family Protea expect interest because of a simi ceae. Flowering proteas are so greatly larity in clhnate. It would appear admired in South Africa that they are that there is again a great demand used as emblems on the coins and for new and uncomInon garden stamps. In Australia the waratah plants. Proteas are outstandingly (Telopea speciosissima), a magnificent effective both as garden shrubs crimson peony-like bloom, is the state and as cutblooms. They flower for flower of New South Wales. long periods, often for more than half -~ year and the flowers carry Through the dissemination of seed and last well." and information, the National Botanic Gardens of South Africa, at Kirsten SOlne proteas for landscape usage bosch, has been largely instrumental in are being grown comnlercially in South bringing into cultivation the ornamen Africa, Australia, New Zealand, a few tal menlbers of Proteaceae. near Nice in the South of France, in While the ornamental members of Corsica, the Scilly Isles and Cornwall the family have been somewhat neg in England. Some are also being pro lected even in their native habitat until duced in Florida and California. recently, ten years ago, Marie Vogts, A limited number of small growers president of the South African Associa in Australia and New Zealand produce tion for the Advancement of Science, cut flowers from nursery-grown plants. observed that there were astounding These are marketed locally at relative- 6 Nodding pincushion (Leucospermum cordifolium) growing at Kula, MauL ly low prices and a few are exported very few special locations in Florida, for special exhibits and special orders. proteas are also being tried. I t is not unusual to see passengers car As with the macadamia, however, rying boxes of proteas in the air ter there are locations in Hawaii, especial minals in South Africa. Many of the ly above 2000 feet elevation, ideally cut flowers are gathered from native similar in soil and climatic conditions plantings. Lack of uniformity, consis to those where proteas grow in their tent supply, and good quality reduce native habitat. Based on tests to date, it the export market for South Africa. is apparent that Hawaii-grown proteas Protea export is further limited by could rival those produced anywhere plant inspection and high airfreight else in the world. Due to their exotic rates to markets in Europe, Japan, and appeal and excellent shipping and North America. keeping qualities, further research and I t is estimated that there will be development of cultural and crop man more than 20 acres of proteas in pro agement practices is underway. duction for cut flowers in California by Proteas are not exactly easy plants to the early 1970's. This acreage will be manage. Their growth response is un limited to three or four species, and predictable. They grow naturally in there have already been instances of well-drained acid soils of granite origin frost damage In locations already on hillsides. Some are productive in planted. Sales are reported brisk and sandy soils, others in deep, rich soil; demand is good whenever these flowers but all of them apparently thrive become available in the market. In a where there is plenty of cool fresh 7 breeze. They cannot tolerate close hu have potential for landscape plants and mid conditions or poor drainage and for cut flower production. Experiments overwatering. are being conducted to determine the , In 1965, Dr. David Williams intro shelf life of the crop and the best duced 50 species of proteas and be means of propagation, pruning, fer gan evaluating them at Kula, the Maui tilizing and harvesting. Branch of the Hawaii Agricultural Ex This publication is intended to sup periment Station. Since that time, the ply prospective growers with informa pace of this research has been in tion presently available. It must be creased. looked upon, however, as a source of The present research program at the preliminary direction which may need Maui Branch Station is evaluating and some modification as the experiments screening as many of the ornamental progress and as more specific data be proteas as possible, selecting those that come available. DESCRIPTIONS OF SELECTED PROTEAS From 1500 species, the following 23 Cutleaf (Banksia grandis) have been selected for description. The largest of the banksias, reaching These include the most successful spe 40 feet