Family: Proteaceae

High Risk Traits:

• Grows in maritime, Mediterranean climates
  
• Elevation range exceeds 1000 m, demonstrating environmental versatility
  
• From fire-prone ecosystem. May increase fire risk in introduced range.
  
• Tolerates many soil types
  
• Forms dense stands in native range
  
• Reproduces by seeds
  
• Self-compatible
  
• Reaches maturity in 2+ years
  
• May hybridize with other Protea species
  
• Seeds dispersed by wind and intentionally by people
  
• Serotinous seeds form a persistent canopy “seed bank”

Low Risk Traits:

• No reports of naturalization or invasiveness to date
  
• Unarmed (no spines, thorns, or burrs)
  
• Non-toxic
  
• Ornamentals
  
• Requires full sun
  
• Not reported to spread vegetatively
  
• Requires specialized pollinators (sugar birds and protea beetles)
  
• Relatively large, serotinous seeds unlikely to be inadvertently dispersed
  
• Killed by fires