{"product_id":"protea-madiba","title":"Madiba Protea - Protea ‘Madiba’","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrice includes everything:\u003c\/strong\u003e the plant, free delivery and professional installation by our planting team. One price, whole job done.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMadiba Protea - Protea ‘Madiba’\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e‘Madiba’ is a garden protea selected for large, deeply coloured heads on a strong upright bush, and like the rest of the genus it flowers through the cool months when little else in a dry garden is active. \u003cem\u003eProtea\u003c\/em\u003e are Cape shrubs with specialised proteoid roots that scavenge nutrients from very poor soil, which is why they resent fertiliser and reward neglect. Planted into sharp draining acidic ground in full sun, this is a long lived structural shrub that produces florist quality blooms year after year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWhy Madiba\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Colour\u003c\/strong\u003e: The heads carry a strong pink to red tone that holds well against the grey green foliage.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUpright Bush\u003c\/strong\u003e: Growth is more erect than the low king types, giving usable height in a mixed border.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCool Season Flowering\u003c\/strong\u003e: Blooms arrive through autumn and winter, extending the garden's active season.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNectar Source\u003c\/strong\u003e: Protea heads are heavy nectar producers and draw honeyeaters through winter.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMinimal Inputs\u003c\/strong\u003e: No fertiliser, little water and no routine spraying once the plant is established.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eIdeal Applications\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStructural shrub in a dry border\u003c\/strong\u003e: Provides mass and height among lower growing low water plants.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWinter colour planting\u003c\/strong\u003e: Positioned where cool season blooms are visible from indoors.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCut flower row\u003c\/strong\u003e: Straight stems and long vase life make it a practical cutting garden plant.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCoastal and slope gardens\u003c\/strong\u003e: Suits sandy, windy, sharply drained sites in southern Australia.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eSpecimen \u0026amp; Installation\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing (screening\/hedge):\u003c\/strong\u003e Not a formal hedge plant; 1.5m centres for an informal row\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing (feature\/avenue):\u003c\/strong\u003e 2 to 3m centres\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBest Planting Season:\u003c\/strong\u003e Autumn in temperate zones; early spring where winters are cold and wet\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil \u0026amp; Drainage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Acidic, sandy or gravelly and free draining; no phosphorus, no manure, no rich compost\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEstablishment Care:\u003c\/strong\u003e Water deeply once a week for the first three months and then only during long dry periods. Mulch with coarse gravel or pine bark kept clear of the stem, and tip prune young plants lightly after flowering to build a branched framework.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003ePlant Details\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.5 to 2.5m\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWidth:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.5 to 2m\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Moderate\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFoliage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Evergreen\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun with open air movement\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNative to:\u003c\/strong\u003e Garden origin; the genus is native to the Cape region of South Africa\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlower Colour:\u003c\/strong\u003e Deep pink to red\n\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nursery Direct","offers":[{"title":"400mm","offer_id":59795340198174,"sku":"ND-1452-400MM","price":800.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/2536\/8862\/files\/2uHAbRe17qLhE6fYJNB4-_OyG83Eib.jpg?v=1787313716","url":"https:\/\/nurserydirect.com.au\/products\/protea-madiba","provider":"Nursery Direct","version":"1.0","type":"link"}