Safari Sunset conebush

Sun

Full sun; good light is essential for strong growth and rich bract colour.

Water

Water regularly during establishment, then deeply during prolonged dry spells. Allow the soil surface to dry between waterings; avoid persistently wet roots.

Soil

Very well-drained, preferably acidic to neutral soil with low phosphorus levels. Sandy or gravelly soil is suitable; avoid waterlogged clay and heavily enriched planting holes.

Height

6-10 ft (1.8-3 m)

Spread

5-8 ft (1.5-2.4 m)

Flowers

Winter to spring: small yellowish flower heads surrounded by conspicuous red to burgundy bracts. This female cultivar develops cone-like seed heads.

Foliage

Evergreen. Narrow, leathery green leaves on upright stems; upper leaves and bracts develop red and burgundy colouring, especially in cooler weather.

Growth

Moderate to fast in suitable conditions.

Care needed

Medium

• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Hard

Toughness

Needs looking after

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   3 ft (0.98 m)

3. After 2 years

   5 ft (1.5 m)

4. After 3 years

   6 ft (1.9 m)

5. After 5 years

   8 ft (2.4 m)

   full size

About 4 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Fast

• Water deeply through the first growing season, allowing excess water to drain away.
• Do not use general-purpose high-phosphorus fertilisers, manure or bone meal; use a low-phosphorus protea fertiliser only if needed.
• Apply a light mulch, keeping it clear of the stem base, and avoid digging around the shallow roots.
• Use a freely draining, low-phosphorus potting mix for containers and never leave pots standing in water.
• Protect from hard frost and cold, drying winds; move container plants into bright, frost-free shelter before freezing weather.

Pruning. Prune after flowering and the main bract display, shortening flowered stems above leafy side shoots to encourage branching. Always retain healthy leaves below each cut; do not cut back into bare old wood.

Spring

Plant after frost danger has passed, using a sunny site with excellent drainage.

Late spring

After the main display, shorten flowered stems while retaining leafy growth below each cut.

Summer

Check soil moisture during dry spells, especially around new plants and in containers.

Late summer

Take semi-ripe cuttings from healthy, non-flowering shoots.

Autumn

Check drainage and move container plants under bright, frost-free cover where winters are cold.

Winter

Enjoy or cut coloured stems, leaving leafy growth on the plant; water sheltered pots sparingly without letting them dry out completely.

• Use as a burgundy focal shrub in a sunny gravel garden with silver foliage and ornamental grasses.
• Plant in a loose screen or informal hedge where winters are mild.
• Grow in a large, well-drained container beside a sunny terrace, allowing room for its mature width.
• Combine with other low-phosphorus, drought-tolerant shrubs in Mediterranean or fynbos-style planting.
• Include in a cutting garden for coloured winter and spring stems.

Garden styles it suits: Architectural minimal, Modern Mediterranean, Dry gravel garden, Coastal, South African fynbos and Winter interest.

Plant it with: Rosemary, Lavender, Rockrose, Kangaroo paw, Blue fescue and Lomandra.

Wildlife: The small flowers can attract insects, although this cultivar is grown chiefly for its bracts and foliage. Dense mature growth can provide shelter for small birds.

• Root rot, including Phytophthora, causes wilting and dieback in wet soil: improve drainage, reduce watering and remove badly affected plants.
• Phosphorus toxicity can cause leaf damage and decline: stop unsuitable fertilisers and use only low-phosphorus products intended for proteas.
• Frost can blacken shoot tips or kill plants: provide a sheltered position and move pots into frost-free cover.
• Scale insects may infest stems and leaves: inspect regularly, remove small infestations by hand and use an appropriately labelled treatment if necessary.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses, but specific safety information for this cultivar is limited. No particular part is established as poisonous; do not treat the leaves, bracts or seeds as edible.

• Jester conebush (Leucadendron 'Jester')

  Has conspicuously cream-edged, often pink-flushed foliage; Safari Sunset has unvariegated green leaves below its coloured tips.

• Pincushion protea (Leucospermum cordifolium)

  Produces rounded orange, yellow or red pincushion flowers with projecting styles, rather than small cone-like heads surrounded by coloured leafy bracts.

Leucadendron comes from Greek words meaning 'white tree', referring to the silvery appearance of the silver tree, an early-known member of the genus.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings in late summer using clean tools and a very freely draining propagation mix. Rooting can be slow and uneven; seed will not reproduce this hybrid cultivar reliably.

Accepted botanical name

Leucadendron

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.