Well, it's not a plant that I personally grow, but I have a dried protea flower head from a floral arrangement and it's full of seeds. I'm not going to plant them. The flower head I got the seeds from looks nearly identical to this: http://www.uni-bonn.de/Aktuelles/Presseinformationen/2004/236/bilder/protea.jpg Proteas are South African natives, but grow a lot in Australia as well. They're fairly large shrubs when mature. The flowers are so specacular! Amanda 'romando' Here is a link that might be useful:

Joe, Brave of you to try these. I have been experimenting with protea from seed for some time. It's true that some seem to damp off the minute temperatures get high. But I think there is some variability, this year I have had a Protea subvestita seeding survive so far. Even though this summer in DC wasn't very hot, it was still much hotter and more humid than the alpine habitat of that species, which is probably something like 72/52f in the summer. Based on my analysis of the various summer rainful species, and my general experience growing SA plants, I'd also recommend you try Protea caffra, gazensis and simplex. But these, unlike P. repens, are summer-rainfall species and would be helped by building a winter rain shield if your area has heavy winter rains. Remember that phosphorus containing fertilizer will kill them, you probably already have read that but it's easy to be fertilizing a nursery tray and accidentally keep pouring. Good luck!

Hazel, so pleased to hear the protea is still alive and kicking. Pity about the rest of the seeds having rotted, same thing happened with my Desert Roses, I am left with just the one now and its doing fine, so fingers crossed for us both eh? Why do we try to grow stuff that is clearly not native to our area? It's such fun having these challenges and gives us that bit of 'street cred' I guess! lol!! What with my plumies, Canary palms, Desert Rose, Mango Dragon Trees, vicious aloes that stab me and draw blood on an almost daily basis, my 5ft strelitzia (which is pushing out 6&7th leaf so far this year but no sign of those elusive flowers) I am fast running out of room! Oh, almost forgot, my Hoya from my Ozzie Aunt is in bud too! Needless to say I have emailed DEFRA and am awaiting their reply as to if daughter No2 can bring me some packets of seeds back from South Africa in Nov or not. If she can, I would be more than happy to mail you some....interested?? (You can mail me at gms53@aol.com) Regards, Gill. PS think you may like the little character below!!!

Well, if they KNOW they're going extinct, I hope they are trying to save them! I suppose they mean extinct in the wild, but still, it seems there would be a concerted effort.