How to Grow Leucadendrons

The stunning new variety 'Spring Blaze', from Ausflora Pacific, has gorgeous soft green foliage with a pink blush, and as the cones start to develop during autumn, the foliage becomes a vanilla colour and the small cone is surrounded by a ring of pink. During spring, 'Spring Blaze' puts on its finest show, developing a large burgundy cone surrounded by red and green foliage.

Leucadendron 'Spring Blaze' grows to 1.5 m tall and 1.5 m wide and is very attractive when grown en mass or as a feature plant. Like other leucadendrons, 'Spring Blaze' prefers a slightly acidic, free draining soil and is drought hardy once established (water regularly during the first 12 months while the root system establishes). Leucadendrons are quite frost resistant (down to – 5˚C) and respond well to a yearly mid spring prune, which helps maintain their size and shape.

When planting a new leucadendron, mix some Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser into the soil in the bottom of the planting hole. It's a composted and pelletised blend of chicken manure, blood and bone, fishmeal and seaweed and will help improve the quality and structure of the soil. Leucadendrons, being a member of the Proteaceae plant family (which also includes Australian native plants like grevilleas, banksias and waratahs), can be sensitive to the nutrient phosphorus in some fertilisers. Yates Dynamic Lifter contains gentle, slow release nutrients and is safe to use on Australian native plants and leucadendrons. To promote healthy growth, sprinkle pellets around the root zone every spring and autumn and water in well.

You can bring the beauty of your home grown leucadendrons inside by creating a gorgeous and long lasting cut flower display.

Judith Browne from Sydney Flower School shares her tips on how to get the best out of your cut leucadendrons:

• Look for stems that are at least 40 cm long with fully coloured 'bracts' (modified leaves) that enclose the small flower at the end of the stem.
• With a sharp pair of secateurs, cut the stems and plunge them straight into a bucket of cool water while you're out in the garden.
• Once inside, remove the lower foliage from each stem, re-cut the stems at a 45 degree angle and then place directly into a vase half filled with cool, clean water.
• Replace the vase water every other day.
• And try mixing leucadendrons with other flowers & foliage you might have on hand. Leucadendrons are one of the few flowers that combine well and take on the appearance of just about all flower types. They're perfect to mix with other wildflowers as well as with tropical and traditional flowers such as roses and all styles from contemporary to vintage. Judith calls them “the little camouflage flower” as they can blend in and become a lovely part of whatever they're mixed with.
• 'Native' confusion - Leucadendrons are often used in bunches of 'native wildflowers' in florist shops, combined with proteas, leucospermums ('pin cushion' flower), eucalypt foliage and banksias. Perhaps they should be called 'Gondwanan wildflowers', as leucadendrons, leucospermums and proteas are native to South Africa and eucalypts and banksia hail from Australia. No wonder people get confused about what's an Australian native plant