Hawaii's Peerless Protea Capture Every Eye

Protea may have been named for Proteus, the Greek sea god who could change his form at will to avoid capture, but florists today find their attention captured by this floral family of diverse forms, sizes, colors and textures. The protea family boasts more than 1,400 varieties throughout the world, with several hundred grown in Hawaii. Fifty active growers form the Protea Growers Association of Hawaii (PGAH), a member organization of the Hawaii Tropical Flower Council (HTFC). On 1 to 30 acres, these growers commercially produce about 100 varieties of protea on Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii, driving a 1.08 million industry. "Each protea bloom is not a single flower but a tight cluster of many tiny flowers surrounded by brightly colored bracts," says PGAH president Ann Prouty. Prouty manages Sunset Tropicals on Maui along with her business partner. HTFC secretary Terrie Roberts. There are four genera in the protea family -- true protea, leucospermum, leucadendron and banksia: Native to South Africa, true protea species line up in a courtly procession: 'King,' 'Queen,' and 'Duchess.' The 'King' and 'Mink' varieties reign in popularity, closely followed by 'Mayday,' all of which have soft feather bracts. 'Duchess' and 'Ice' varieties have bracts that are long and smooth.   The common name for leucospermum is "pincushion" -- aptly named for its round head of numerous, thin bracts resembling an overstuffed pincushion. Varieties now grown in Hawaii are originally from South Africa. Leucadendron varieties from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa are now cultivated in Hawaii. In late fall, some leucadendron produce a con -- just in time for holiday arrangements.   Banksia, native to Australia, is named for Sir Joseph Banks, a 19th century English naturalist. Popular colors of the tall, oblong blooms are red, orange and green. Most banksia reflect in a striking two-tone, two-texture pattern, and florist covet the flowers' intriguing serrated foliage. So it's not just the unique blossoms that draw florists to the peerless protea. "The foliage is fabulous, adding a lot of interest and texture," says Ted Donaghy of Glassboro, NJ, this year's FTD Americas Cup East Region winner. "Banksia and 'King Protea' leaves are especially great for basing techniques." For more information about Hawaii-grown protea, contact the Protea Growers Association of Hawaii at (800) 965-9005, or fill out our handy online form.

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