Leucadendron
By Megan Edwards UCCE Master Gardener
‘jester conebush' or ‘safari sunrise'
Family: Proteaceae (proteas)
Planting areas: H1, Sunset Zones 16,17, 20-24.
Size: 4-5 feet tall and wide
Bloom season: winter - spring
Exposure: full sun
Water needs: low
Pruning needs: remove spent blooms to encourage dense growth; prune woody stems to encourage new growth.
Leucadendron is a genus native to South Africa; ‘jester' is but one of 80 varieties. True to its name, Jester is full of surprises. Its eye-catching foliage, versatility, and low water needs make it highly desirable for our Mediterranean climate. Here we'll explore three of Jester's best surprises!
In late winter and spring, this colorful garden clown wears bright red bracts atop showy pink, cream, and green variegated foliage. Jester's foliage, bracts, and the small cone-shaped heads inside the bracts, are highly prized by florist for adding a pop of color and texture to fresh or dried flower arrangements.
Versatility is Jester's strong suit. It performs well in-ground and in containers. In-ground plants benefit from a slightly raised mound to ensure adequate drainage, and added mulch helps protect surface roots. Hedges, screens, and boarders are other excellent uses for this robust shrub. Jester is also low maintenance and requires infrequent watering, no fertilizer, and thrives in well-drained, slightly acidic sandy loam soil. It's virtually disease free, pest free, and is also deer resistive. Jester's variegated pastel stems make a fun option for garden pots and planters of a similar color palette.
Jester is drought tolerant and makes an excellent companion for California natives with similar low maintenance and water needs. There are 7,985 plants native to California (calscape.net) and with careful research and selection, one is sure to find suitable companions for Jester. Including native plants in a supporting role will provide a food source for native pollinators, which benefits both flora and fauna.
Look carefully at sunset and observe playful Jester showing off luminous foliage reminiscent of a ‘safari sunrise'. Entertaining friends and family with this Jester in your garden is guaranteed to draw applause and rave reviews!
Our Advice to Grow By Workshops are back!!!
Our next workshop will be January 21st, 2023, at 10:00 to 12:00 p.m. in our Seven Sisters Demonstration Garden at 2154 Sierra Way, San Luis Obispo. The topic will be “Fruit Trees: How Winter Care Can Aid Warm Weather Success”.
Learn why the winter season is so important to the development of deciduous fruit trees. You'll learn how to select and plant bare root trees, how to arm yourself for dealing with pests and disease, and how winter is an important time to perform maintenance on mature trees along with a pruning demonstration. There will also be a discussion of winter care of citrus trees. This workshop will be held in our garden so please be prepared for the weather outside. Inclement weather will cancel the workshop.
Other ways to see or reach us:
You can view workshops on Instagram live at slo mg or visit our You Tube channel at “San Luis Obispo County UC Master Gardeners.”
Visit our website at ucanr.edu/sites/mgslo/ or email questions to anrmgslo@ucanr.edu.
Our physical offices are now open!!!!!
Covid may still affect staffing levels, so it is best to call before heading to your local Helpline office:
San Luis Obispo: 805-781-5939 (Monday and Thursday 1:00 to 5:00)
Arroyo Grande: 805-473-7190 (10:00 to 12:00)
Templeton: 805-434-4105 (Wednesday 9:00 to 12:00)