Duo of Leucadendronsafari Sunset and Jack Harre

This Leucadendron duo brings together two exceptional varieties, 'Safari Sunset' and 'Jack Harre'. These evergreen bushes, similar to proteas and native to South Africa, are distinguished by their colourful foliage and unusual conical inflorescences that mainly appear in spring. These plants thrive in sunny gardens, but their cultivation is delicate as they have specific soil requirements. It is also essential to cultivate them in pots to overwinter them away from the coast.

The duo consists of:

1 Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset': This bush reaches a height of 1.50m to 2m. Its foliage changes from light green to purple-red in autumn, and its inflorescences consist of long and very noticeable bracts, with colours ranging from light red to yellow.

1 Leucadendron 'Jack Harre': This variety is more compact, reaching about 1m in height. Its green and yellow leaves remain bright all year round, and it offers a beautiful pink and red flowering.

Leucadendrons are ideally planted in spring, in full sun. They require a light, well-drained, filtering, nitrogen- and phosphorus-poor soil, with a tendency towards acidity, and moist to dry conditions in summer. A mixture of leaf compost, a little peaty soil, and river sand will be suitable. In coastal gardens, they can be integrated into flower beds, borders, or rockeries. These bushes can also be grown in 50 to 60-litre pots, with drainage holes, to decorate terraces and balconies.

In the ground, place the Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset' behind the lower 'Jack Harre' variety. Plan for approximately 1 to 2 plants per square metre, with a spacing of 80cm between each plant.

This duo can be complemented with a few lavenders and Corsican spurge plants, to be placed in the foreground. Ornamental grasses like Pennisetum provide movement and texture, while Agapanthus with blue or white umbels can be interspersed between the Leucadendrons.