Protea Care
All the Deets
Protea AKA Sugarbush, is a gorgeous perennial that comes in a range of colors, shapes, and sizes. Named after the Greek god Proteus, this South African beauty is one of a kind and quite the showstopper. Not only are their medium to giant heads bound to draw you into any fresh arrangement, but their hardiness allows for protea to dry out easily to be enjoyed in the years to come (with proper care of course)! So once you’re finished enjoying your fresh bouquet, remove the leaves and hang your bundle upside-down to dry! We recommend keeping them in a well-ventilated room without too much sun to bleach the flowers. Once they’ve dried out for two to three weeks they’ll be ready to decorate with.
Fresh Cut
Start your protea off on the right foot with a quick trim. Find a pair of scissors, kitchen shears or even a sharp kitchen knife and trim at least 1/2" off each stem. Pro Tip: aim for a 45° angle. This provides more surface area for the flowers to drink from and prevents the stems from sitting flush to the bottom of the vase (where bacteria builds up). Now is also a good time to remove any leaves that may otherwise conceal the glorious protea head (we most definitely wouldn’t want THAT).
H2-WHOA!
Your flowers traveled a long way to get to you! After their adventure, they're definitely feeling a little thirsty - give 'em a drink stat!! Fill a vase with cool tap water and they'll lap it up!
Pro Tip: change the water daily (or as often as you can possibly remember!) and remove individual flowers as they expire. This helps reduce the growth of bacteria which can cause your beautiful blooms to fade faster.
Extra Credit!
Help your bouquet live its best life and keep it out of direct sunlight and extreme heat. In fact, both can dramatically shorten its lifespan in the vase. That means that sunny windowsill is off-limits, but three feet (or so!) away is a prime location!