Leucadendron Inca Gold - Conebush

The Leucadendron 'Inca Gold' is part of a group of hybrid bushes between the Leucadendron laureolum and its close relative the L. salignum. Originally from South Africa, it is a frost-sensitive plant and somewhat delicate to grow, but very floriferous and strongly exotic in appearance. The bush adorns itself in spring with a multitude of unique inflorescences, resembling stars, composed of tough bracts of a vibrant yellow, surrounding a large heart composed of tiny golden yellow flowers. They bloom on a silky leaf, soft to the touch, in a tender green colour. Increasingly used in contemporary or Mediterranean-inspired compositions, especially by the sea, Leucadendrons are very graphic bushes that prefer large pots outside the mildest regions as it will be imperative to store them as soon as the first frosts arrive.

The Leucadendron 'Inca Gold' is a horticultural hybrid. It belongs to the proteaceae family and its ancestors are native to the Cape province of South Africa. Just like proteas, the Leucadendron are strange plants in every respect, they need fire to germinate their seeds. But, unlike proteas, male and female plants are distinct. 'Inca Gold' forms a dense, bushy, vigorous bush, quickly reaching 1.50 m in height and 1.30 m in span. Multiple stems emerge from a stump capable of regenerating after a fire. They bear ovate to elliptical evergreen leaves, pointed at their end, covered with silky hairs. They are light green in colour. Flowering usually occurs from March to May in our climates. The small, bright yellow flowers arranged in globular inflorescences are surrounded by numerous conspicuous bracts, organised in stars, whose colour changes over time from tender green to bright yellow. 

The Leucadendron 'Inca Gold' is an unique and elegant plant of very mild climates and poor soils. It will be happy in coastal gardens spared from heavy frosts, in light, mineral, rather acidic soil. The gardens of the Corsican coast should be able to accommodate it in open ground. Particularly suited to the Mediterranean climate with long summers, it does not disdain the slightly cooler soils of the southern European Atlantic coast. It will look good isolated, on large slopes or in the background of exotic beds, but always in an open position, in full sun. In an exotic garden, it can be partnered with plants that appreciate the same growing conditions: the Canary Viperine, the Royal Protea, the Euphorbia characias, the Nolina hibernica, the paradise bird Strelitzia reginae, agaves, or palm trees with moderate growth such as the Blue Palm of Mexico (Brahea armata). In New Zealand, the flowers are highly appreciated in floristry, as they last a long time in bouquets while bringing a fantastic graphic and colour.