What size and type of Protea 'Pink Ice' plants do you offer, and how big will they get in my garden?

Bonte Farm offers Protea 'Pink Ice' in 1-gallon, 3-gallon, and 5-gallon container sizes. These sizes refer to the volume of the pot, which gives you an idea of the plant's age and establishment—larger sizes typically mean a fuller, more mature shrub that's closer to blooming size. When planted in suitable conditions, Protea 'Pink Ice' will grow to about 6-8 feet tall and 4-6 feet wide, making it a stunning feature in your landscape.

What care does Protea 'Pink Ice' need to thrive, and is it hard to grow if I’m new to gardening?

Protea 'Pink Ice' is surprisingly low-maintenance once established, making it a great choice even for less experienced gardeners. It needs full sun (at least 6 hours daily), well-draining acidic soil (pH 5.5–6.5), and should be watered deeply but allowed to dry out between waterings. Once the plant is established, it is drought-tolerant and resilient. For best results, avoid high-phosphorus fertilizers and prune lightly after flowering. With these simple care steps, you'll enjoy its exotic blooms for years.

Is Protea 'Pink Ice' available year-round, and what should I know about availability or seasonal shipping?

Protea 'Pink Ice' is a specialty plant, and availability at Bonte Farm can vary with the season and demand. It's most often available in spring and early summer when conditions are ideal for planting. If it's out of stock, you can join our notification list to get updated as soon as it's restocked. For best results, we recommend planting during mild weather and not during periods of frost, as this protea prefers warmer temperatures and can be sensitive to freezing.

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Bonte Farm

Protea 'Pink Ice': Cold-Hardy, Silvery-Pink Protea for Low-Water Landscapes

$55.00 USD

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❄️ Protea 'Pink Ice': The Silvery-Pink, Cold-Hardy Beauty

The Protea 'Pink Ice' is a popular and exceptionally reliable Protea hybrid prized for its superior cold tolerance and stunning, elegant blooms. This hardy evergreen shrub is the result of a cross between P. nerifolia and P. compacta, combining the best traits of both parents. It produces abundant, elongated, cone-shaped blooms in a beautiful shade of silvery-pink that deepens towards the base, often tipped with a soft, feathery white or black beard. 'Pink Ice' is a highly adaptable, low-maintenance specimen for Mediterranean, coastal, and architectural gardens. Its robust nature, superior drought tolerance, and suitability for a wider range of climates make it a reliable choice, yielding superb, strong-stemmed long-lasting cut flowers and a consistent source of nectar for hummingbirds.

Botanical Characteristics

Characteristic	Detail
Scientific Name	Protea 'Pink Ice' (Hybrid Cultivar)
Common Names	Pink Ice Protea, Cold-Hardy Protea.
Growth Habit	A sturdy, upright evergreen shrub with a dense, rounded, and naturally bushy habit.
Foliage	Features slender, dark green, needle-like leaves densely arranged along the stems, similar to P. nerifolia.
Flowers	Medium to large, elongated, cone-shaped flower heads (bracts), typically 5–7 inches long. Color is a luminous silvery-pink to deep rose, often with a white or dark tip.
Flowering Season	Known for its prolific, extended bloom period, typically flowering heavily from late fall through spring, providing essential cool-season color.
Cut Flower Use	Excellent, professional-grade cut flower, highly valued for its straight stems and longevity in arrangements.

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Mature Size

'Pink Ice' is a substantial shrub, providing excellent screening and structural presence.

Height: Typically reaches 6–8 feet (1.8–2.4 meters) tall.
Spread: Achieves a dense, manageable spread of 6–8 feet (1.8–2.4 meters) wide.
Its size is perfect for creating a structural informal hedge or backdrop.

USDA Hardiness Zone

This hybrid is well-known for its improved cold tolerance, making it suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 8b–11. It thrives in mild, nearly frost-free coastal and Mediterranean climates where it receives full sun. It handles light to moderate frosts better than many other Proteas.

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 stems and abundant blooms.
Soil	Essential: Demands perfectly well-drained, acidic soil (pH 5.0–6.0). It 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 highly detrimental.
Fertilizer	Crucial: ABSOLUTELY AVOID all phosphorus fertilizers. Proteas are extremely phosphorus-sensitive. Use a specialized, low-phosphorus formula for Proteaceae, or skip fertilizing entirely.
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 maximum flower count.

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Landscape Use

Cold-Hardy Choice: A reliable option for areas experiencing occasional light frost, where other Proteas might struggle.
Specimen Plant: Used as a vibrant focal point due to its attractive color and texture.
Cut Flower Garden: Grown specifically for its reliable, professional-grade floral stems.
Xeriscape Design: A reliable, low-water, low-fertility plant for arid and Mediterranean-style gardens.

Wildlife Attraction

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

Pest and Disease Resistance

Protea 'Pink Ice' 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, cold tolerance, and silvery-pink color of the 'Pink Ice' 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.