Family: Proteaceae

High Risk Traits:

• Grows in maritime, Mediterranean climates
  
• Reported to be naturalized and/or a weed but evidence is inconclusive
  
• From fire-prone ecosystem. May increase fire risk in introduced range
  
• Tolerates many soil types
  
• Reproduces by seeds
  
• May hybridize with other Protea species
  
• Seeds dispersed by wind and intentionally by people
  
• Birds and rodents may secondarily disperse seeds (but may primarily be seed predators)
  
• Serotinous seeds form a persistent canopy “seed bank”
  
• Tolerates regular pruning

Low Risk Traits:

• Unarmed (no spines, thorns, or burrs)
  
• Non-toxic
  
• Ornamental
  
• Requires full sun
  
• Self-incompatible
  
• Reaches maturity in 4-5 years
  
• Not reported to spread vegetatively
  
• Relatively large, serotinous seeds unlikely to be inadvertently dispersed