• Leucadendron galpinii 'Silver Cone': A Silver Sensation - Bonte Farm
  • Leucadendron galpinii 'Silver Cone': A Silver Sensation - Bonte Farm
  • Leucadendron galpinii 'Silver Cone': A Silver Sensation - Bonte Farm
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Bonte Farm

Leucadendron galpinii 'Silver Cone': A Silver Sensation

Leucadendron galpinii 'Silver Cone': A Silver Sensation

$45.00 USD
$45.00 USD
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⚪ Leucadendron galpinii 'Silver Cone': The Silvery-Blue Conebush

The Leucadendron galpinii 'Silver Cone' is a distinctive and highly valued Conebush cultivar (Leucadendron genus) prized for its exceptional silver-blue foliage and unique texture. This beautiful evergreen shrub is a popular choice for adding year-round structure, light, and Mediterranean flair to the landscape.1 It is primarily grown for its slender, spiraling leaves that are covered in fine hairs, giving the whole plant a soft, silvery-gray to blue-green appearance, particularly vibrant in full sunlight. 'Silver Cone' is an excellent, medium-sized specimen plant for creating contrast and a cool, calming focal point in Mediterranean, coastal, and architectural gardens. Its robust, naturally tidy habit, superior drought tolerance, and appealing texture make it a resilient and low-maintenance choice, yielding attractive, long-lasting cut foliage and cones.

Botanical Characteristics

Characteristic

Detail

Scientific Name

Leucadendron galpinii 'Silver Cone' (Cultivar)

Common Names

Silver Conebush, Silvery Leucadendron.

Growth Habit

A sturdy, upright evergreen shrub with a dense, symmetrical, and naturally tidy habit, often columnar or pyramidal.

Foliage

Features slender leaves covered in fine hairs, resulting in a distinct silvery-gray or powder-blue coloration.

Flowers/Cones

Inconspicuous flowers surrounded by pale yellow-green terminal bracts, developing into attractive silvery cones (female plants).

Flowering Season

Cones/bracts appear from late winter through spring, but the silver foliage provides appeal year-round.

Cut Flower Use

Premier professional-grade cut foliage, highly valued for its strong stems, silvery color, and textural contribution to arrangements.

Mature Size

'Silver Cone' is a moderate-sized shrub that is excellent for vertical interest.2

  • Height: Typically reaches 5–8 feet (1.5–2.4 meters) tall.
  • Spread: Achieves a dense, manageable spread of 4–6 feet (1.2–1.8 meters) wide.
  • Its upright size is perfect for creating a bright, structural accent.

USDA Hardiness Zone

This Leucadendron cultivar is best suited for USDA Hardiness Zones 9–11.3 It requires a mild, nearly frost-free climate and thrives in full sun, performing exceptionally well in sunny, dry-summer regions. It is intolerant of sustained freezing temperatures.

Cultivation and Care

Aspect

Care Instructions

Sunlight

Requires full sun (a minimum of 6 hours of direct sun daily) to ensure the best silvery color and excellent air circulation.

Soil

Essential: Demands perfectly well-drained, acidic soil (pH 5.0–6.0). Thrives in sandy, gritty, low-nutrient soils and must not sit in heavy, wet clay.

Water

Highly drought-tolerant once established. Water deeply during the first year. Mature plants require minimal summer water; overwatering is the primary threat.

Fertilizer

Crucial: ABSOLUTELY AVOID all phosphorus fertilizers. Proteaceae are extremely phosphorus-sensitive. Use a specialized, low-phosphorus formula or skip fertilizing entirely.

Pruning

Mandatory: Prune lightly after the cones fade, cutting back to maintain a dense, tidy, and symmetrical shape and promote new growth.

Landscape Use

  • Specimen Plant: Used as a central focal point to provide brilliant silver contrast against darker green plants.
  • Vertical Accent: Excellent for providing year-round structural height in borders.
  • Cut Foliage Garden: Grown specifically for its professional-grade, high-yield, long-lasting silver stems.
  • Xeriscape Design: A cornerstone, low-water, low-fertility plant for arid landscapes.

Wildlife Attraction

The dense, upright habit of the shrub provides valuable shelter and nesting sites for native birds in the garden, contributing to garden biodiversity.

Pest and Disease Resistance

Leucadendron galpinii 'Silver Cone' is generally a hardy and robust plant when its crucial drainage needs are met. The most common issues are root rot and collar rot, which are caused by poor soil drainage or overwatering—this is the single most critical factor to avoid.

Propagation

To ensure the resulting plant maintains the specific, desirable traits, silvery foliage, and upright habit of the 'Silver Cone' cultivar, propagation must be conducted using vegetative methods. Semi-hardwood cuttings are the preferred and most reliable technique, generally taken during the warmer months. Propagation from seed is not used for maintaining cultivar identity.

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