This dark red, almost black leaved shrub typically grows to 6 to 8 feet tall by 6 wide. The leaves are covered in fine silver hairs and stems are a reddish/purple. The terminal red bracts surround the yellow female flowers from early to midwinter into summer.  This cultivar is a sport of ‘Safari Sunset’, itself a hybrid between Leucadendron laureolum and L. salignum. It should tolerate a mild frost. It is slower growing than most Leucadendrons because of  its dark foliage.

Pronunciation: lew-kuh-DEN-dron law-re-OH-lum x sal-LIG-num

Species Meaning: laureolum: small laurel crown x salignum: like Salix (Willow genus name, meaning to spring or leap), referring to the willow-like leaves

Leucadendron Leucadendron laureolum x L. salignum is native to South Africa.

Cultivation Notes

Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil and irrigate occasionally to infrequently once established.

Additional Information

It was discovered in 2007 by John Francis in a cultivated cut flower field of Leucadendron ‘Safari Sunset’ in Waimauku, northwest of Auckland, New Zealand. It received its US Plant Patent 23,258 in December 2012. In its patent application it was noted that it differed from the parent plant by having purple-black colored leaves and bracts instead of green leaves and red bracts such as are found on ‘Safari Sunset’.

In Our Garden

Plant ID: P20012

Found in Compost Heap,

It was plant at the intersection of the main pathway and Tuxedo lane by the Portal but struggled. During the winter of 2022, it scummed to the 22F temps. Clearly zone 9b at best.

We acquired this plant from Waltzing Matilija.