Protea cynaroides 'Mini King'

Protea cynaroides 'Mini King' (Dwarf King Protea) - A shrub to about 3 feet tall and wide with large 6 to 8 inch wide flowers. These pale silky pink or sometimes deep crimson flowers form a roundish central peak of flowers surrounded by rays of darker pink bracts. Flowers cover the shrub from autumn to spring with some scattered bloom throughout the year. Plant in full sun in a well-drained, preferrably acid, soil. Requires little irrigation and tolerates coastal conditions. Protect from frost and temperatures below 28° F. Cut flowering stems back to base after flowering. This is a smaller growing King Protea that grows to only about half the height that the species gets to. It is an attractive garden plant for a nice well-drained site in the garden or as a container specimen and a great cut flower for arrangements. This species has a wide distribution through the fynbos in the southern parts of South Africa, an area subject to wildfires for which Protea cynaroides is well adapted with its thick underground stems that have dormant buds that sprout up after a fire. The genus and plant family is named for the Greek god Proteus, who was able to change between many forms and reflects the incredible variety and diversity of the plants in the family.