Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset' (Safari Conebush) - A vigorous, tall and erect growing shrub that reaches to over 8 feet tall, but can be kept lower and more dense with regular pruning. It has green leaves and very deep, red-colored bracts forming on longs stems beginning in late summer that are great for cutting in fall and winter and even later into spring as the female flowers develop and terminal bracts take on cream tones.
Plant in full sun in a fairly well drained soil. As with the cultivar 'Red Gem' this plant is a tough cultivar that can handle frost, alkalinity and clay soils. This is a wonderful garden plant for specimen planting or as a hedge or wind screen. Its cut stems are excellent for large arrangements, and it has remained one of the most popular and longest grown of the Proteaceae for cut flower production.
Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset' originated in New Zealand in the 1960s and was the result of crossing Leucadendron laureolum with the red form of Leucadendron salignum by Mr. Ian Bell at his Steven's Nursery in Whanganui, New Zealand. More than 40 million cut flower stems of this variety are known to be sold annually worldwide. We have grown this great plant since 1989.
This information about Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset' 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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