Plant Picks -- Leucadendron discolor 'Pom Pom'

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Leucadendron discolor 'Pom Pom' is prized as an ideal short screening shrub and source of cut flowers.

Leucadendron discolor 'Pom Pom'
This South African native adds an exotic touch to temperate landscapes

Leucadendron discolor 'Pom Pom' is a showy, drought-tolerant shrub that's an ideal short screening plant. It features blue-gray, oval-shaped leaves that often take on purple tones during cool weather. In spring, male plants produce cone-shaped clusters of red and yellow flowers that can be cut and used indoors.

Luen Miller, owner of Monterey Bay Nursery in Watsonville, Calif., said 'Pom Pom' is one of his favorite plants, and certainly his favorite Leucadendron.

"It's good for garden foliage and texture," he said. "They actually work well in hardscapes. They're becoming more accepted now."

Consumers definitely seem to be catching on. The University of California Santa Cruz Arboretum reports that 'Pom Pom' has been one of the most sought-after plants in recent years. The shrub was also an attraction at a special South African plant exhibit last fall at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C.

Ideal environment

'Pom Pom' thrives in acidic, well-drained soil and requires careful summer watering. Miller said it should not be allowed to dry out during hot weather. But too much water applied too frequently can also lead to damage.

Dennis Perry, protea specialist and owner of Perry's Panorama in Somis, Calif., recommends hard pruning at the time of flower harvest to maintain the vigor of the plant and to control its size.

The plant's cold hardiness is one of its best attributes. Miller said it will tolerate temperatures down to 20°F, making it an ideal shrub for California's Central Valley and surrounding foothills. He admits that 'Pom Pom' might be harder to grow than other Leucadendron, but it's well worth the effort.

L. discolor is typically grown from seed or cuttings. Miller, however, uses clonal selections. He grows mostly 1- and 5-gallon specimens that are ready for sale in six to nine months. 'Pom Pom' does not like high container temperatures. As far as growing media goes, Miller said you "just have to feel it out." In general, whatever growers are using for other free-draining plants should work well for this shrub.

Pest and disease resistance

Overwatering, soil fungi and nematodes are the biggest threats to Leucadendron in cultivation.

"In general they're going to have all the weaknesses of other protea," Miller said. "They're prone to root rot, but not as prone as other, more sensitive members of the family."

Consumers will be pleased with the plant's deer resistance. They simply don't eat them, Miller said, because the plant's compounds are totally foreign and unpalatable to most four-legged pests.

— Sarah Martinez

SPECIFICS:
Name: Leucadendron discolor 'Pom Pom'
Common name: Flametip.
Family: Proteaceae.
Description: Erect shrub with blue to gray-green, oval leaves. Showy, cone-shaped clusters of red and yellow flowers appear in spring. It is drought tolerant and reaches 7 feet high and 5 feet wide.
Hardiness: USDA Hardiness Zone 8.
Uses: Often used as a short screening plant. Bracts can be harvested and used as cut flowers.
Propagation: Seed or cuttings.
For more: Monterey Bay Nursery, P.O. Box 1296, Watsonville, CA 95077; (831) 724-6361; http://montereybaynsy.com. Perry's Panorama, P.O. Box 540, Somis, CA 93066; (805) 642-3267; fax (805) 642-5967.