Leucadendron ‘Purple Haze’

Leucadendron 'Purple Haze' (Leucadendron 'Purple Haze') brings colour that lasts months rather than a fortnight. It settles at about 1.5m tall and 1.2m wide, carrying upright stems tipped with bracts that run from deep red through to a smoky purple. The colour is in modified leaves, not petals, so it holds far longer than a flower.

Why you'll love it

• Colour measured in months. The display sits in the bracts around each flower head, long after a flowering shrub is over.
• Low maintenance in the real sense. Once established it wants sun, free draining soil and an occasional deep water.
• Built for exposed blocks. Salt tolerant, wind tolerant and content in poor sandy ground, which is why it suits coastal front gardens.
• A size that suits small gardens. At 1.5m by 1.2m it anchors a bed or a large pot without swallowing the space.

Where it works best

Feature planting. A single plant carries a bed on its own, particularly against grey foliage, gravel or a pale rendered wall.

Coastal gardens. Salt spray, wind and thin sandy soil suit it. Give it an open position rather than a sheltered pocket, because still humid air is the problem.

Mass planting. Plant 1m apart for a block of colour, which leaves room for air to move between plants.

Pots and courtyards. A pot 400mm or wider with a free draining mix is the easiest way to get drainage on a clay block.

Growing Leucadendron 'Purple Haze' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun all day, with air moving around the plant. It is at home in warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and it takes light frost once established. It is not a plant for the wet tropics or a humid subtropical summer, where it collapses at the collar. Hard frosting inland districts are also a stretch.

Soil. Sharp drainage is the one condition it will not negotiate, and sandy or gravelly soils are ideal. On clay, plant high on a mound with coarse grit through the backfill, and keep mulch thin and clear of the stem.

Water and feed. Deep water weekly through the first summer, then only in long dry spells. Use a low phosphorus native fertiliser, lightly, in early spring. Standard garden and lawn fertilisers carry enough phosphorus to damage the roots.

Pruning. Cut the coloured stems for the house, then tidy the plant back to just above a set of leaves once the colour fades. Prune every year, because old bare wood is slow to reshoot.

What to expect when it arrives

Grown in three sizes: tube stock, 140mm in packs of ten and 200mm in packs of six. Tube stock is young and single stemmed and suits a mass planting, while 140mm and 200mm plants usually colour up in their first or second season.

Leucadendrons travel well, since the stiff foliage holds little moisture. Plant promptly, water in once, then leave it alone. Expect little growth above ground at first, with the display building from the second year. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Choosing plants for a coastal garden
• Browse the salt tolerant coastal range.
• Compare other drought tolerant plants.
• See more for small gardens and courtyards.

Common questions

Will it grow in Brisbane or the tropics?

Not the right choice there. Leucadendrons want dry summer air and sharp drainage, and prolonged humidity leads to collar and root rot.

What fertiliser should I use?

A low phosphorus native fertiliser, applied lightly in early spring. The protea family is sensitive to phosphorus, so ordinary garden fertiliser and lawn feed can do real damage.

Can I keep it in a pot?

Yes, and on heavy soil a pot is often better. Use one at least 400mm wide with a free draining mix, and never leave it standing in a saucer.