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Common sunshine conebush

SAplants / Wikimedia Commons - CC BY-SA 4.0

Common sunshine conebush

Leucadendron salignum

A tough, bushy evergreen fynbos shrub grown for its long-lasting coloured bracts: the slender leaves at the stem tips flush yellow, orange, and crimson around small woody cones, brightest through the cool season. POWO (Kew) gives its native range as the Cape Provinces of South Africa, where it is the most widespread and adaptable conebush, and it is the parent of the famous cut-flower hybrid "Safari Sunset". The honest catch carries through everything that follows: it is dioecious - male and female cones are borne on separate plants - and, like all Proteaceae, it is phosphorus-sensitive, so ordinary phosphate fertiliser and bone meal will kill it. It wants acidic, sharply drained soil and full sun, is drought-tolerant once established, and is frost-tender, though the hardiest and most forgiving of this fynbos group. Its small, scented heads are insect-pollinated (beetles, flies, and bees) in the wild - unlike the proteas, the conebushes are not bird-pollinated; it is grown ornamentally, not as a food crop.

Climate fit: moderate (44/100)

Structure

Border

Focal point

Light

Full sun

Water

Low water

Mature size

3-5 ft tall · 4 ft apart

Hardy in zones

8b-11

frosty to nearly frost-free winters

AHS heat range

1-11

Plant range authored in AHS heat-zone terms.

Native in Illinois

No

Grown purely as an ornamental and cut-flower fynbos shrub - no part of it is eaten.

°C

°F

Cold hardiness

These values are location-based: this location's current hardiness is the baseline, and the 2050 value is a projected future climate for this same location.

Now

Zone 6b

Plotwright

USDA Zone 6b

-5°F to 0°F

Won't grow here

2050

2100

Zone 7a

Plotwright

0°F to 5°F

Won't grow here

In plain terms: This location has cold winters. Its winters are projected to keep warming through 2050.

✕

Out of range today and still out of range in 2050.

Heat tolerance

Heat tolerance values are location-based too: heat days today are observed at this site, and the 2050 value projects this same location under a future climate.

Loading AHS heat-zone data for this location...

Where this plant fits

Suitable across 8 ecoregions - 4 climate-resilient through 2070 · 4 newly possible by 2070. Best matches first.

California coastal sage and chaparral

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Eastern Australian temperate forests

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Fynbos shrubland

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New Zealand North Island temperate forests

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Edwards Plateau savanna

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Piney Woods

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Puget lowland forests

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Willamette Valley oak savanna

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What it needs

Conditions

Light

Full sun

Water

Low water

Spacing

4 ft

Habit

A bushy, rounded to spreading evergreen shrub roughly 3 to 5 feet tall and wide, with wiry stems clothed in slender grey-green leaves that colour up toward the tips around the cones.

Care tips

•

Never feed it phosphate fertiliser or bone meal - like all Proteaceae its cluster roots are adapted to lean fynbos soils and either will kill it.

•

Give it acidic, sharply drained, low-nutrient soil in full sun; it is drought-tolerant once established but rots in wet, rich, or limey ground.

•

Set both a male and a female plant if you want seed, since it is dioecious - a single plant bears only one sex of cone.

Lifecycle

Planting

Plant in full sun in acidic, sharply drained, low-nutrient soil - sandy or gritty fynbos-type ground, never rich or limey. POWO (Kew) gives the native range as the Cape Provinces of South Africa. Space plants about 4 feet apart for air circulation, and crucially do not add phosphate fertiliser or bone meal: like all Proteaceae it is phosphorus-sensitive and either will kill it.

Transplanting

Set out young container plants while small, when they move most easily and resent disturbance least; keep them watered just enough to establish through the first dry season, never waterlogged.

Early growth

Water sparingly to establish through the first year, then taper off - it is drought-tolerant once rooted but rots in wet, rich, or limey soil. Do not feed with phosphate or bone meal. Keep the crown open to good air circulation.

Maturity

Mature plants form a bushy, rounded shrub roughly 3 to 5 feet tall and wide that colours up each cool season around the cones. Because it is dioecious, a given plant bears only male or only female cones; you need both sexes for seed. RHS rates the species on the borderline of tender to hardy (about H3-H4) - the hardiest and most forgiving of this fynbos group, to roughly 19°F in dry cold, but still frost-tender in wet cold.

Propagation

Propagated from semi-hardwood tip cuttings, which is also the way to keep a known male or female plant - and named selections like "Safari Sunset" - true to type; seed needs both a male and a female parent, since the shrub is dioecious.

Plant this, not that

Better fit for this place

For Chicago, IL, these are replacement suggestions: similar plants with a stronger hardiness fit now and/or in 2050.

Buxus microphylla

Japanese Box

Japanese box is a compact, dense evergreen shrub long cultivated in Japan (where it was first described from cultivated plants of uncertain wild origin) with truly wild populations known from Taiwan, used for centuries for topiary, low hedging, and bonsai. Its fine-textured small leaves and naturally tidy habit make it one of the most widely planted formal garden shrubs in temperate regions, and the 'Faulkner' cultivar holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit. The honest catch is a double threat: all parts contain steroidal alkaloids (cyclobuxine) and are toxic to humans and livestock, and the species is under sustained pressure from box blight (Calonectria pseudonaviculata) and the box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis), with B. microphylla documented as more susceptible than the common European B. sempervirens, so an established hedge can be defoliated within weeks.

Shrub

Full sun / Part sun / Part shade

Better fit now and in 2050

Now: well-suited

2050: well-suited

Euphorbia characias

Mediterranean spurge

Mediterranean spurge (Euphorbia characias) is an architectural evergreen sub-shrub of the Mediterranean Basin, forming an upright dome of blue-green, closely set, strappy leaves to about 4 feet. From late winter through spring it is topped by big, dense, dome-shaped heads of chartreuse-green flower structures (cyathia) that hold their acid-lime colour for months and give the plant a sculptural, almost otherworldly presence. It is tough, drought- and salt-tolerant, and evergreen year round, but it comes with a real safety flag: like all spurges it bleeds a milky white latex when cut or broken, and that sap is a skin and eye irritant. Handle it with gloves and eye protection, and keep the cut sap away from skin and face.

Better fit now and in 2050

Now: well-suited

2050: well-suited

Yucca filamentosa

Adam's needle

A virtually stemless, broadleaf-evergreen native of central and eastern North America: a basal rosette of rigid, sword-shaped, spine-tipped leaves up to 30 inches long, fringed along the margins with the curly white threads that give the species its name. In early summer a flowering stalk shoots from the center to 5 to 8 feet, carrying nodding, bell-shaped, creamy-white flowers. Tough enough for poor sandy soil, heat, drought, and salt spray, it earns its keep as architectural structure in dry and seaside gardens.

Shrub

Full sun / Part shade

Better fit now and in 2050

Now: well-suited

2050: well-suited

Viburnum opulus

Guelder rose

A large deciduous European-native shrub grown for a three-season show: maple-like lobed leaves that color well in autumn, flat white lacecap flower clusters in late spring, and heavy drooping bunches of translucent red berries that hang on into winter. Each flower head is a showy ring of large sterile outer florets surrounding a fertile center, giving the lacecap its distinctive look. It is one of the best all-round wildlife shrubs you can plant - the open flowers feed hoverflies and bees, and the red fruit feeds birds through the cold months - and it tolerates wet soil, making it a natural choice for hedgerows, damp corners, and wild gardens. Two honest cautions go with it: the raw berries are mildly toxic to people, and this is the European guelder rose, not the North American cranberrybush.

Shrub

Full sun / Part shade

Better fit now and in 2050

Now: well-suited

2050: well-suited

Similar plants

Browse lateral options with similar roles, light needs, size, or native-range overlap; these are not filtered for a better climate fit.

Viburnum davidii

David viburnum

David viburnum is a compact, mound-forming evergreen shrub native to western China (its provenance usually given as the Sichuan / Yunnan region), grown for its bold, deeply three-veined glossy leaves, small clusters of white flowers in late spring, and - when fruiting - striking oval drupes in a distinctive metallic turquoise-blue. It holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit and suits the front of borders, shaded corners, and containers in cool-temperate to mild climates. The honest catch is a fundamental one: it is dioecious, so you must plant at least one male and one female together to get the celebrated blue fruit - a single plant in isolation will never berry, and many gardeners discover this only after years of waiting.

Shrub

Full sun / Part sun / Part shade

Japanese box is a compact, dense evergreen shrub long cultivated in Japan (where it was first described from cultivated plants of uncertain wild origin) with truly wild populations known from Taiwan, used for centuries for topiary, low hedging, and bonsai. Its fine-textured small leaves and naturally tidy habit make it one of the most widely planted formal garden shrubs in temperate regions, and the 'Faulkner' cultivar holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit. The honest catch is a double threat: all parts contain steroidal alkaloids (cyclobuxine) and are toxic to humans and livestock, and the species is under sustained pressure from box blight (Calonectria pseudonaviculata) and the box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis), with B. microphylla documented as more susceptible than the common European B. sempervirens, so an established hedge can be defoliated within weeks.

Shrub

Full sun / Part sun / Part shade

Jerusalem sage (Phlomis fruticosa) is an evergreen Mediterranean shrub grown for its bold foliage and its distinctive tiered flowers. Through spring and into early summer the stems carry whorl upon whorl of hooded, butter-yellow blooms stacked in neat tiers up the stem, set against sage-like, wrinkled, grey-green leaves that are softly felted with hairs. Despite the name it is not a true sage and is not culinary - it is grown purely as an ornamental. It is a tough, sun-loving, drought-tolerant shrub for hot, dry, sharply-drained places: gravel gardens, Mediterranean-style borders, and hot sunny banks. The honest caveat is that it resents wet, heavy soil and cold winters; it is only borderline hardy (RHS H4), so in cold-winter areas it needs a warm, sheltered spot and very sharp drainage to come through. Trim it lightly after flowering to keep it bushy and compact, leave the dried seedheads for winter structure, and enjoy it as the good bee plant it is.

Mediterranean spurge (Euphorbia characias) is an architectural evergreen sub-shrub of the Mediterranean Basin, forming an upright dome of blue-green, closely set, strappy leaves to about 4 feet. From late winter through spring it is topped by big, dense, dome-shaped heads of chartreuse-green flower structures (cyathia) that hold their acid-lime colour for months and give the plant a sculptural, almost otherworldly presence. It is tough, drought- and salt-tolerant, and evergreen year round, but it comes with a real safety flag: like all spurges it bleeds a milky white latex when cut or broken, and that sap is a skin and eye irritant. Handle it with gloves and eye protection, and keep the cut sap away from skin and face.

Pig's ear is a rounded, grey-leaved succulent shrublet from southern Africa, grown for its thick, chalky-white, often red-edged paddle leaves and its tall stalks of nodding, orange-red, bell-shaped flowers that are loved by sunbirds. GBIF places it native widely across southern Africa - the Cape Provinces, Free State, Eswatini, and into Angola. It is an easy, very drought-tolerant succulent for full sun and very sharp drainage: water it sparingly, because OVERWATERING in wet or cold soil is what rots and kills it. It is FROST-TENDER (RHS rates it about H3), so in cold-winter climates it is grown in a pot under cover and kept nearly dry through winter. Honest safety flag: Cotyledon orbiculata is seriously TOXIC - it contains cardiac glycosides and is a well-known cause of fatal "krimpsiekte" poisoning in grazing livestock, and it is toxic to people and pets too, so grow it strictly as an ornamental and keep it well away from animals and children.

Shrubby scorpion vetch

Coronilla valentina is a compact, evergreen Mediterranean shrub in the legume family (Fabaceae), with a native range spanning the Mediterranean Basin from Portugal and Spain through Italy, the NW Balkans and Greece to the Aegean and Turkey, and south across northwest Africa to Libya. In a warm, sheltered garden spot it rewards with prolific, intensely honey-scented yellow flowers from late winter into summer and handsome glaucous foliage year-round. The honest catch is cold-hardiness: RHS rates it H4 (hardy to about 14°F), so it is borderline at the cold edge of USDA zone 7 and is liable to be cut to the ground or killed outright in a hard freeze, demanding a sheltered south- or west-facing wall in colder gardens - and the whole plant is toxic to humans and livestock.

Educator packet

Plant packet

Common sunshine conebush educator packet

A tough, bushy evergreen fynbos shrub grown for its long-lasting coloured bracts: the slender leaves at the stem tips flush yellow, orange, and crimson around small woody cones, brightest through the cool season. POWO (Kew) gives its native range as the Cape Provinces of South Africa, where it is the most widespread and adaptable conebush, and it is the parent of the famous cut-flower hybrid "Safari Sunset". The honest catch carries through everything that follows: it is dioecious - male and female cones are borne on separate plants - and, like all Proteaceae, it is phosphorus-sensitive, so ordinary phosphate fertiliser and bone meal will kill it. It wants acidic, sharply drained soil and full sun, is drought-tolerant once established, and is frost-tender, though the hardiest and most forgiving of this fynbos group. Its small, scented heads are insect-pollinated (beetles, flies, and bees) in the wild - unlike the proteas, the conebushes are not bird-pollinated; it is grown ornamentally, not as a food crop.

Scientific name

Leucadendron salignum

Plant type

shrub

Hardiness

8b-11

Light

full-sun

Moisture

low

Spacing

48 inches

Classroom prompts

- Which plant traits are observations, and which are care recommendations?

- How would this plant fit change if the garden location moved warmer, colder, wetter, or drier?

- Which source-backed facts would you cite in a lesson handout?

Use the Sources & citations section below for page citation styles and the field-level source list.

Sources & citations

Cite this page

For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. Use the source cards below to explore the references that informed this record.

Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Common sunshine conebush (Leucadendron salignum). Retrieved 2026, August 20, from https://plotwright.com/plants/leucadendron-salignum

Sources used for this record

This record is compiled from the sources below.

Plants of the World Online (POWO)

Botanical research database

Open source

Source guide

RHS Find a Plant

Botanical research database

Open source

Source guide

GBIF

Botanical research database