June Flower Of The Month:
Protea
Family: Proteaceae
The flower of June is the protea. These unique blooms are fun, colorful, and come in so many shapes and sizes! The King Protea is a fan favorite for weddings and they come in giant blooms that are fun to dry and keep forever. Scroll on down to learn more about these South African blooming flowers.
Origin
Native To: South Africa
In The Wild: Protea can be found in the Cape Floristic Region, which are southern coastal mountain ranges. They prefer warm, dry climates and can grow low to the ground and bushy, or as tall as trees!
Protea Care
Protea are known for their heavy thick stems. They need to be arranged in a vase that can support them. When caring for cut protea, be gentle with pin cushion proteas because they are very fragile. You want to make sure the leaves are cut off if they touch the water. Change out your fresh water daily to maintain the color of your protea blooms and to keep them lasting even longer!
With both vase and foam arrangements, always make sure you are placing them in a dark, cool location in your home. Placing them in direct sunlight or near a warm environment will decrease their lifespan.
Growing in your garden:
Protea can definitely be grown in a garden! Be sure you live in a dry, warm climate because they do not tolerate humidity. They prefer bright and direct sunlight and enough space to breath. You have to be sure you prune your protea plants to keep them bushy and full.
Drying Protea:
Drying protea is such a fun unique way to preserve your blooms! They dry almost identically to what they look like fresh, just with a slight color variation. Wrap your stems up with wire, string, or something that keeps them together and hang them upside down on a wall. You can also bundle them in a vase and watch them dry over time standing up. Check out this video on how we dried our protea blooms!
Follow along with us to learn how to dry a protea >>
Symbolism and Fun Facts
The name protea was inspired by Greek mythology.
It is South Africa’s national flower.
Proteas like fire! They need fire to be able to release their seeds and reproduce.
They symbolize diversity and courage.
There are about 45 different types of protea in varying colors, sizes, and shapes.
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