Is Protea 'Claire' suitable for my garden's climate?

Protea 'Claire' thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 9-11 and prefers warm temperatures with minimal frost exposure. It can tolerate brief periods of freezing in zone 8 with proper protection. This cultivar is ideal for regions with mild winters and well-draining, acidic soil.

How do I care for and maintain Protea 'Claire' in my garden?

Protea 'Claire' should be planted in full sun, receiving at least 6 hours of sunlight daily. Use well-draining, acidic soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5. Water deeply but infrequently, allowing the soil to dry between waterings. Use low-phosphorus or protea-specific fertilizer in spring and fall.

What is the best way to plant Protea 'Claire'?

Plant Protea 'Claire' in a sunny location with excellent drainage. Amend heavy clay soils with organic matter and coarse sand or perlite to improve drainage. Avoid alkaline soils, as this plant prefers acidic conditions. Mulch with organic materials, keeping mulch away from the plant base to prevent rot.

What are the flowering and foliage features of Protea 'Claire'?

Protea 'Claire' produces large, striking blooms that blend soft pink and creamy white tones, offering weeks of vibrant color. Its evergreen foliage remains deep green throughout the year, providing constant visual interest to your landscape even when not in bloom.

How large does Protea 'Claire' grow, and how can I use it in my garden?

Protea 'Claire' typically reaches 6-8 feet tall and 4-6 feet wide as an upright, evergreen shrub. Use it as a specimen plant for a focal point, in mixed borders, or in Mediterranean- and coastal-style gardens. Its long-lasting blooms are also excellent for cut flower arrangements, and the plant attracts pollinators like birds and bees.

1 10

Bonte Farm

Protea 'Claire': Cultivate the Exotic Protea Plants in Your Garden

$55.00 USD

Sale Sold out

Shipping calculated at checkout.

Quantity 1-gal 3-gal 5-gal

🌸 Protea 'Claire': The Elegant, Medium-Sized Pink Cone Protea

The Protea 'Claire' is an exquisite and highly sought-after Protea hybrid prized for its neat, upright growth habit and stunning, elegant blooms. This handsome evergreen shrub produces abundant, perfectly formed, cone-shaped blooms in a beautiful shade of soft, creamy pink that can deepen to rose at the base, often featuring subtle black or white tips. 'Claire' is an excellent specimen plant for creating contrast and vertical interest in Mediterranean and architectural gardens. Its manageable size, superior drought tolerance, and dense foliage make it a resilient and low-maintenance choice, yielding superb, strong-stemmed long-lasting cut flowers and a reliable source of nectar for hummingbirds.

Botanical Characteristics

Characteristic	Detail
Scientific Name	Protea 'Claire' (Hybrid Cultivar)
Common Names	Claire Protea, Pink Cone Protea.
Growth Habit	A sturdy, upright evergreen shrub with a dense, columnar, and naturally neat habit.
Foliage	Features slender, dark green, needle-like leaves densely packed along the stems, providing a handsome, fine texture.
Flowers	Medium, unique cone-shaped flower heads (bracts), typically 4–6 inches long. Color is a luminous soft pink blending into a creamy center, often with subtle pink or dark tips.
Flowering Season	Known for its prolific bloom period, typically flowering heavily from late winter through spring, providing crucial cool-season elegance.
Cut Flower Use	Excellent long-lasting cut flower, highly valued for its straight stems and elegant color in high-end arrangements.

Mature Size

'Claire' maintains a manageable, upright size, making it suitable for many garden spaces.

Height: Typically reaches a slender 5–7 feet (1.5–2.1 meters) tall.
Spread: Achieves a dense but narrow spread of 3–5 feet (0.9–1.5 meters) wide.
Its columnar shape is perfect for tight spaces or formal borders.

USDA Hardiness Zone

This Protea hybrid is best suited for USDA Hardiness Zones 9–11. It thrives in mild, nearly frost-free coastal and Mediterranean climates where it receives full sun. It is intolerant of sustained freezing temperatures and requires protection in colder zones.

Cultivation and Care

Aspect	Care Instructions
Sunlight	Requires full sun (a minimum of 6 hours of direct sun daily) and excellent air circulation to ensure strong vertical growth and abundant blooms.
Soil	Essential: Demands perfectly well-drained, acidic soil (pH 5.0–6.0). Thrives in sandy, gritty, low-nutrient soils and must not sit in heavy, wet clay.
Water	Highly drought-tolerant once established. Water deeply during the first year. Mature plants require minimal summer water; overwatering is the primary threat.
Fertilizer	Crucial: ABSOLUTELY AVOID all phosphorus fertilizers. Proteas are extremely phosphorus-sensitive. Use a specialized, low-phosphorus formula for Proteaceae, or none at all.
Pruning	Mandatory: The best pruning is achieved by harvesting the flowers heavily, cutting the stems back into the leafy part of the shrub. This promotes fresh, dense growth and high flower production.

Landscape Use

Vertical Accent: Used as an upright specimen plant to add height and structure to borders.
Cut Flower Garden: Grown specifically for its professional-grade, straight, long-lasting floral stems.
Formal Design: The neat habit is excellent for formal borders and structured plantings.
Xeriscape Design: A reliable, low-water, low-fertility plant for arid and Mediterranean-style gardens.

Wildlife Attraction

The nectar-filled flowers produce a copious amount of sweet nectar, making them extremely attractive to nectar-feeding birds, which serve as the primary pollinators. Planting 'Claire' is an excellent way to invite hummingbirds and native birds into the cool-season garden.

Pest and Disease Resistance

Protea 'Claire' is generally a hardy and robust plant when its crucial drainage needs are met. The most common issues are root rot and collar rot, which are caused by poor soil drainage or overwatering—this is the single most critical factor to avoid.

Propagation

To ensure the resulting plant maintains the specific, desirable traits, upright habit, and soft pink flower color of the 'Claire' cultivar, propagation must be conducted using vegetative methods. Semi-hardwood cuttings are the preferred and most reliable technique, generally taken during the warmer months. Propagation from seed is not used for maintaining cultivar identity.

View full details

FAQs

Got a question? We are here to answer

Protea 'Claire': Cultivate the Exotic Protea Plants in Your Garden

Protea 'Claire': Cultivate the Exotic Protea Plants in Your Garden

FAQs

Growzone Finder