Leucospermum

( lew - koh - SPUR - mum )

At-A-Glance Information

This genus of shrubs, commonly called Pincushion, is composed of species which need full sun and moderate water to perform well in the garden. They produce beautiful clusters of pinhead flowers that are striking in cut flower arrangements and are native to South Africa. Blooms are most profuse in late winter and springtime. Grow these shrubs as privacy or wind screening, as specimen plants in the landscape for their unique blossoms, or in containers. They can also be grown as specimens, in drought-tolerant mixed beds and borders, or simply as a nectar-rich pollinator magnet.

Leucospermum Species and Varietals

The genus Leucospermum is a member of the plant family Proteaceae and includes 48 known species. Plants in this genus are related to those in Protea, Leucadendron, Grevillea, Banksia, Hakea, and Macadamia. Leucospermum shrubs grow best in USDA hardiness zones 9-11 or Sunset growing zones 15-17, 21-24 and H1. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Leucospermum cordifolium (Nodding Pincushion, Ornamental Pincushion, Bobbejaanklou, Pincushion Protea)
This compact shrub reaches 4 feet tall and just as wide at maturity. Leaves are medium green and flowers make wonderful additions to cut arrangements. Foliage is somewhat heart-shaped, hence the specific epithet 'cordifolium'. Flowers are coral with yellow tips, curving out and then back in. Cultivars bred for their flower color and size are listed and described below:

'Flame Giant'
3-6 feet tall and 4-6 feet wide with 4-6 inch wide luminous orange-red blooms.

'High Gold'
4-5 feet tall, 6 feet wide. Golden-yellow flowers.

'Sunrise'
To 4-6 feet tall and 6-8 feet wide with coral-orange and yellow flowers.

'Tango'
6-8 feet tall and 4-6 feet wide, with vivid orange-red blossoms.

'Yellow Bird'
Bright yellow flowers on a 4-5 foot tall, 7-8 foot wide shrub.

Leucospermum grandiflorum (Grey-Leaf Fountain-Pincushion, Rainbow Pincushion)
These plants are native to South Africa, and produce grey-green leaves and large flowers that can reach up to 5 inches across. Individual plants reach up to between 8 and 10 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide at maturity. Blooms are light yellow to pinkish.

Leucospermum lineare (Needle-Leaf Pincushion, Narrow-Leaf Pincushion, Smalblaarspeldekussing, Tangerine Pincushion, Linear-Leaved Pincushion)
These plants are native to the southwestern area of the Western Cape province of South Africa, and forms an upright shrub to 6.5 feet tall. Flowers are light yellow. Cultivar 'Tangerine Pincushion' ('Assegaaibos Pincushion') produces orange flowers.

Leucospermum reflexum (Rocket Pincushion, Skyrocket Leucospermum, Perdekop)
This species has a sprawling habit and reaches 12 feet tall and about as wide. Foliage is greyish, and flower heads are orange-rose. Flowers will appear shaggy with age as petals droop. Cultivars include 'Red Rocket' (with vibrant orange-red blooms), and 'So Exquisite' (to 6-8 feet tall with red-orange flowers).

Caring for Leucospermum

Leucospermum shrubs and trees prefer to be planted in full sun. They should be receiving direct sun for at least 6 hours per day for best growth rate and flowering. Ensure that these plants are protected from strong afternoon sun, especially in hot climates. This type of exposure can cause leaf scorching, or sunburn. Ensure that soil is well-draining, rich in nutrients, and has a pH of between 5.0 and 6.0 (slightly acidic). If local soils are particularly poor in nutrients or do not drain well, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic compost before installing. Apply a layer of mulch around the planting area to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention. Water new plantings regularly as they establish a strong root system in their new home. At maturity, these plants are drought-tolerant, able to get by on rainwater alone for much of the year. During active blooming periods to encourage more flower (and therefore nectar) production, water regularly but allow the soil to dry out between irrigation events. After blooms fade, provide deep waterings as needed during extended periods of drought.

Fertilize yearly in early springtime with an application of 1 inch of compost around the base of plants. Pull mulch back before applying, work the compost gently into the soil a bit, water it in, and then replace mulch. Pruning is simple; remove any damaged, diseased, or dead foliage at any time during the growing season, and remove spent flower spikes to neaten up the appearance of plants and encourage reblooms. To shape, prune in late spring to early summertime once all flowers have faded. Avoid pruning these shrubs too heavily and too late in the season, as this can negatively affect the amount of flowers that will bloom on the shrub in the next year. Leucospermum shrubs flower on new wood, and trimming tips just after blooms fade the prior year will encourage fresh, bushy growth in the next. Most Pincushion shrubs have an average life span of between 8 and 15 years in the garden setting, though in their native environments can last for 50 years to a century. To encourage a longer life in the landscape, ensure that roots are not exposed to standing water, allow shrubs to maintain a natural shape (don't over-prune), and do not fertilize (other than using compost).

Propagation

Leucospermum can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your shrub, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Leucospermum by Cutting

Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. A good substrate for propagation of cuttings is a light blend of 1/3 pasteurized soil or compost, 1/3 sand, vermiculite or perlite, and 1/3 coconut coir or peat moss.
In spring or early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.

Propagating Leucospermum by Seed

Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. The best potting medium for seed germination is a light blend of 1/3 pasteurized soil or compost, 1/3 sand, vermiculite or perlite, and 1/3 coconut coir or peat moss.
Harvest your seeds. The seed heads on Leucospermum plants are pretty easy to spot, they're left behind after flowers have faded; seeds are mature 1-2 months after flowering ends. Snip the aging flower heads off of the plant and enclose them in a paper bag. Allow them to dry out further and release more seeds naturally in a cool, dark, dry place.
Once seeds have been released, soak them in water heated to 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius) for 30 minutes, and then put them in a solution that is 1 part 3% hydrogen peroxide to 2 parts water to soften the outer coat. Leave them for 24 hours.
A final treatment for these seeds involves soaking them in liquid smoke for 24 hours prior to sowing. This mimics post-fire rains that seeds typically experience in their native environment, and dramatically improves germination rates. After their smoke bath, air dry them in a warm, sunny location for a few hours and then collect them for sowing.
Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 3-4 weeks from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.

Leucospermum fruits are called achenes, and each one contains a single seed. Seeds are mature within 1 or 2 months after flowering concludes. They are typically dispersed by ants in their native habitat.

Leucospermum nut-like seeds are hard and oval to globe-shaped, and typically remain dormant in soil for years until exposed to heat and smoke from brushfires. They can stay viable for over 200 years.