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Leucadendron 'Red Gem' - This bushy shrub reaches 4 feet tall. Its leaves are green with a small section of red near the rounded tip which is accentuated by fine silvery hairs (besides the size this distinguishes it from 'Safari Sunset'). During the initiation of bloom (in late summer), the plant begins to take on a bronzy appearance - the reddish bracts surround the yellowish female cones.
Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil and irrigate occasionally to infrequently once established. Tolerates wind and frosts to below 22 ° F. A very nice-looking dense shrub with foliage to the ground, making it a good choice for screening but the flowering stems are short, so while nice in the vase for the home gardener, they are not long enough to be grown for cut flower use.
Leucadendron 'Red Gem' is a hybrid between Leucadendron laureolum and Leucadendron salignum that was introduced by Jean Stevens at Steven's Nursery in Whanganui, New Zealand in the 1950s - she was also one of the greatest of New Zealand's iris breeders. Her son-in-law Ian Bell later introduced the incredibly popular Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset' from this same location in the early 1960s. It received the Royal NZ Institute of Horticulture's Plant Raiser’s Award in 1982 and is known just as 'Gem' in Australia. We grew this nice plant from 2003 until 2012.
This information about Leucadendron 'Red Gem' displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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