Leucadendrons - "Cone Bush"
Once again the Gardens entrance provides the subject for this bloom blast. Leucadendron ‘Safari Sunset’ has been on the job since 1988, providing bright red Winter foliage with yellow cone flowers in the Spring. What a rewarding plant!
A gardeners delight especially when given good drainage. No need to fuss, just trim for flower arrangements and enjoy. In fact the two plants L. ‘Safari Sunset’, have never been fertilized which is actually beneficial since southern hemisphere soils do not contain phosphorous, and they also survived the five day freeze during the 1989 – 1990 winter that killed the Protea collection in the Garden.
One of the oldest known groups of flowering plants. Present 300 million years ago, Leucadendrons, members of the Protaceae family (which include Banksias, Grevilleas, and Proteas) are native to South Africa where they thrive in a coastal mountain, Mediterranean climate that provides little or no summer rainfall, acid soils, and generous humidity.
These plants are dioecious, meaning male and female flowers on separate plants. They have tulip-like terminal bracts surrounding cone-like flower clusters, during winter and spring. Year round foliage color range from silvery to blue-green, intense garnet to rich violet red.
A small island planting in front of the store shows off Leucadendron argenteum or Silver Tree. Soft shiny, six inch leaves on a three foot bush that will ultimately grow to twenty feet. However, this species is short lived and is extremely intolerant of heavy soil and poor drainage - but the reward far outweighs the difficulties.
The species L. salignum has provided the flower and landscape trade with many new and fabulous cultivars, a few of which are planted in the Garden. ‘
L. ‘Winter Red’, grows three to four feet with overall intense garnet red color beginning early winter and lasting 6mo’s or more is planted with Grevillea ‘Fan Fare’ under the entrance sign.
L. ‘Jester’, surrounded and contrasted by the blue/silver Euphorbia myrsinites, grows four to five feet with variegated bright pink, green and cream foliage with ruby red bracts. A little clown like but playful in the landscape.
Check out the plaza and perennial garden for other species and cultivars and for years of pleasure in your own garden just ask Janet or Nancy for their assistance in the nursery.