There are times when the bright, yellow and deep pink variegated foliage of Leucadendron ‘Jester’ seems a little too garish, but in the right setting it’s magic, especially in winter when the colours are at their brightest and boldest. This is a shrub for the adventurous gardener looking for plants with a difference to make the garden fun and full of character.
In coastal gardens, where Leucadendron ‘Jester’ is very much at home, it can be made a little more subtle by combining it with tall growing lavenders such as ‘Purple King’ and inky coloured salvias such as ‘Indigo Spires’ and ‘Black and Blue’.
Or you can create an all out celebration of its extrovert appearance by growing it as a hedge. It thrives on annual pruning to keep it bushy, so why not make it into a hedge which could be used within the garden to define an area or even as a low roadside hedge. Prune, whether you have it as a hedge or not, by about a third in spring and it won’t have a chance to become leggy.
Australian Grevilleas make attractive companions for Leucadendron ‘Jester’. Winter flowering varieties such as ‘Mount Tambourine’ and ‘Red Clusters’ are great for creating a cheery scene to brighten chilly days and combining them with ‘Jester’ creates even more zing.
Very dark, chocolatey brown to black foliage makes quite a statement with this Leucadendron. The tall stemmed succulent Aeonium ‘Schwartzkopf’ has this rich, dark colouring in abundance and looks quite dramatic with ‘Jester’s’ colouring. There are native plants which make an intriguing pairing with Leucadendron ‘Jester’ too. Dark flaxes such as ‘Black Rage’, green Cordylines like ‘Green Goddess’ and chocolate toned (the colour is most intense in winter) Coprosma ‘Karo Red’ are all worth considering.
One thing you need to remember with ‘Jester’, and for that matter with all Leucadendrons, Grevilleas, Leocospermums and Proteas, is that fertiliser isn’t required and can even be harmful. So go easy, or better still leave the fertiliser bag in the garden shed and marvel at the way these plants get on so well on the most meagre of diets.
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Schemes & Themes
using Liddle Wonder Plants