Proteas come in many colorful forms, from tiny dwarf Protea flowers to Protea shrubs, and even large Protea trees. The Protea blooms range in size from two to twelve inches in diameter. As a family, Proteaceae is so diverse that it defied classification until 1735 when the Swedish naturalist, Linneaus, dared to give this family a name. Linneaus, named this family ‘Proteaceae’ after the Greek god 'Proteus.' This is an appropriate name for this plant that presents a breathtaking array of shapes, sizes, hues and textures. There are over 1,500 different species of this diverse family identified so far, although only about 160 are grown for commercial use.
