red ice protea

Name: The Plant Company
Address: 284 Meeanee Road, Meeanee, Napier, 4112, New Zealand
Telephone: 0800 843 752
Price range: Contact Us
Rating: 4.8/5

The Red Ice Protea is an award-winning shrub that brings dramatic beauty and enduring structure to New Zealand gardens. Celebrated for its striking crimson-red bracts with icy silver highlights, the Red Ice Protea delivers year-round appeal and a truly unique floral display. As a standout species within the Protea family, it’s an exceptional choice for gardeners looking to add sculptural interest, vibrant colour, and hardy low-maintenance performance to coastal, urban, or country landscapes.

Protea 'Red Ice'

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Protea 'Red Ice' is a striking evergreen shrub that produces bold red flower heads with a silvery contrast, creating strong visual appeal. This hardy variety is well suited to New Zealand gardens where free draining soil and full sun are available. It provides year round structure and produces long lasting blooms that are ideal for cutting, making it a standout choice for modern and coastal landscapes.

Protea 'Red Ice'

Suited to regions:
All regions
Plant type:
Shrubs
Height:
2.00 m
Spread:
1.50 m
Flowering time:
Spring, Summer, Autumn
Tolerances:
Coastal, Extended dry periods, Hardy
Garden uses:
Living areas, Pool areas
Garden styles:
Alpine, Backyard, City & Courtyard, Coastal, Frontyard, Mediterranean, Modern

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Why Choose Red Ice Protea?

The Red Ice Protea, with its bold, show-stopping flowers, is prized both as a landscape shrub and as a source of irresistibly beautiful cut stems for vases. Proteas thrive in free-draining soil and sunny conditions, fitting well in beds, borders, or as specimen plants. They’re tolerant of wind and coastal conditions once established, making them ideal for exposed sites across New Zealand. Their intricate blooms attract pollinators and bring unique visual texture, blending beautifully with New Zealand natives and other Mediterranean-style garden plants.

Proteas, including the Red Ice variety, are highly drought-resistant once established, providing excellent options for waterwise gardens. With a mature height of 1 to 1.5 metres, Red Ice Protea forms a compact, architectural shrub that suits modern urban gardens as well as more traditional country settings.

How to Grow and Care for Red Ice Protea

Plant your Red Ice Protea in a sunny, well-drained position—raised beds or slopes are ideal. Avoid clay soils and fertilise only with low-phosphorus blends, as Proteas are sensitive to high phosphorus levels. Water young plants regularly during the first one or two summers; thereafter, they will cope well with periods of drought. Prune lightly after flowering to encourage dense new growth and more buds next season.

For gardeners seeking inspiration, other protea varieties such as Protea cynaroides (King Protea), Protea Fiery Sunset, Protea Franciscan, Protea White Ice and Protea Limelight offer an exciting range of colours and forms that combine beautifully with Red Ice Protea. Plant as a feature shrub or massed in groups for maximum impact throughout your landscape.

Red Ice Protea in New Zealand Gardens

Ideal for contemporary garden designs as well as traditional mixed shrub borders, the Red Ice Protea brings year-round interest and architectural form. Protea flowers are exceptional for long-lasting floral arrangements and bouquets—making them a favourite with florists and home gardeners alike.

Consider pairing Red Ice Protea with plants like Duranta alba, Pieris Snowdrift, Rhododendron Pink Pearl, Fuchsia 'Land van Beveren', and Grevillea Winpara Gold (Winpara Gold Grevillea) for a lush, diverse, and waterwise planting palette.

If you’re searching for an extraordinary protea that delivers dynamic colour, bold form, and years of easy-care enjoyment, Red Ice Protea is an ideal choice for your New Zealand garden.

Contact us

Whether you need assistance finding the plant you’re looking for or you simply want to know more about who we are and what we do, we invite you to get in touch with us today. A member of The Plant Company team will get back in touch as soon as possible.