Blooming Red Pincushion

Blooming Red Pincushion (Leucospermum 'Blooming Red') is a bold South African shrub that grows to about 2.5m tall and 2m wide, carrying large red-orange flowers on long stems through winter and spring. The pear-shaped heads look something like a waratah or a grevillea. It is a fussy grower, but it repays a gardener who gives it the free-draining, acid, low-humidity conditions it asks for.

Why you'll love it

• Big flowers in the cold months. Long stems carry large red flower heads that shade to orange inside, right through winter and spring when most gardens are quiet.
• Made for cutting. The long stems make it a natural choice for a cut flower garden.
• Fine in poor ground. It prefers sandy or light acid soil, even poor soil, so it suits gardens where richer shrubs struggle.
• Medium sized and evergreen. At 2.5m by 2m it fills a feature spot with year round foliage without the bulk of a tree.

Where it works best

Feature planting. Use it as a stand-alone shrub in a sunny bed where the flowers can be seen, with 2m of space on every side. The nectar rich heads also draw honeyeaters.

Large containers. A big pot of free-draining acid mix lets you control the soil in gardens with heavy clay or alkaline ground. Keep it out of frost.

Cut flower gardens. Plant a few at 2m apart and harvest the long stems from winter into spring.

Growing Blooming Red Pincushion in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade, with full sun giving the most flower. It dislikes both high humidity and frost, so it suits warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens best. In humid subtropical gardens drainage and airflow become critical, and in frosty areas a sheltered position or a pot you can move is safer.

Soil. Free-draining sandy or light soil with an acid pH, even poor soil. Avoid alkaline ground, heavy clay and rich or fertilised soil, which are the usual causes of failure. On clay, plant on a raised mound or grow it in a pot.

Water and feed. Water regularly for the first four to six weeks and until it is established. Fertilise in late winter or spring with a controlled release native fertiliser that is low in phosphorus. Once settled it needs little extra water.

Pruning. Cut the long flowering stems as they fade, back to a leafy shoot. Avoid cutting into bare old wood, which reshoots poorly in most members of the protea family.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Blooming Red Pincushion as tube stock only: a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly. Pincushions are big, chunky shrubs and are not often grown as tubestock, so a tube is a rare find. They take a little time to get established, then speed up: expect a slow first season, followed by strong growth once the roots have settled.

Our tube stock is grown for us and is not always on the shelf. A tube marked sold out means the grower has none at the moment, and the notify button on the page will email you the day it returns.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• More flowering plants for the garden
• Native grevilleas with a similar flower shape
• Bird attracting plants
• Plants that love full sun

Common questions

Why is a pincushion harder to grow than other shrubs?

It comes from sandy, acid, low-nutrient soils. Rich soil, heavy clay and humid air all work against it. Meet its conditions and it is straightforward.

Can I grow it in a pot?

Yes. Large containers suit it, and a pot lets you control drainage and soil acidity. Use a free-draining acid mix and keep it in full sun.

Will it handle frost?

No. The plant dislikes frosts, so in cold gardens give it a warm, sheltered spot against a wall or grow it in a pot that can be moved under cover.