Protea scolymocephala - Thistle Sugarbush, Thistle Protea, Small Green Protea, Scoly, Kleingroenroos Seeds

Description

Protea scolymocephala can benefit from Seed Smoke Primer, which is also available in our shop. Make sure to take a look!

Protea scolymocephala, commonly known as the thistle protea or thistle sugarbush, is a small, upright, and well-branched shrub in the genus Protea. It is endemic to the Western Cape province of South Africa, where it thrives in sandy flats and coastal lowlands within the Cape Floristic Region. This species is named for its distinctive flower heads, which are relatively small for a protea, measuring about 3.5 to 4.5 cm in diameter. The buds are almost perfectly spherical, with the floral bracts covering the young flowerheads like scales. When they open, the creamy-green bracts, often with a reddish-pink flush, open wide to expose the central cluster of flowers.

The thistle protea is a tough and adaptable plant, well-suited to the harsh conditions of its native fynbos habitat, including nutrient-poor soils and a Mediterranean-type climate. It is a “serotinous” species, meaning it stores its seeds in the old, fire-resistant flower heads for years. After a fire, the adult plants are typically killed, but the seeds are released and germinate with the next rains, regenerating the population.