The Pincushion Flower is a flowering, subtropical, evergreen shrub, native to the Cape provinces of South Africa, and a member of the protea family. This family of about 1600 different species is found in the southern hemisphere, primarily in Australia and southern Africa. The Pincushion Flower is an upright, spreading shrub that at maturity in 5 to 10 years, can reach a height of 8 or 9 feet with an equal width. It has leathery leaves and the bright red flowers bloom from summer into winter and, as the common name implies, give the impression of a pincushion. The Pincushion Flower does best in moist, well drained, slightly acidic soil in full sun. It does tolerate dry conditions, but is not particularly hardy and would require some shelter from winds. It can be pruned to control its size. Pincushion Flower is drought-tolerant, good for xeriscaping, and loves full sun. Given the dry and hot native conditions of the plant, it would do best as a greenhouse plant in low-nutrient compost in full light. Water sparingly, but do not allow to dry out. Diseases, Insect Pests, and other Plant Problems: Susceptible to red spider mites. If the compost is too rich, it can cause the plant to fail.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Mature size
Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in. | Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Erect; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Gray/Silver
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Oblong
Leaf margin
Dentate
Leaf feel
Leathery
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Gray, oblong, 2 to 3 inch long and 1 1/2 inches wide leaves with two to four teeth near the tip of the leaf.
Flower color
Orange; Red/Burgundy
Flower value
Good Cut; Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower shape
Wheel
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
Large, 3 to 4 inch, showy two-toned flower heads that start orange turning to crimson. From the center of the flower long styles bend toward the center of the head creating the appearance of a pincushion.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer; Winter
Stem detail
1/4 inch in diameter, stiff, upright stems covered in powdery hairs.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Cape Provinces of South Africa
Landscape Use
Landscape theme
Drought Tolerant Garden
Design feature
Accent; Specimen
Garden tags
#full sun tolerant #drought tolerant #non-toxic for cats #non-toxic for horses #non-toxic for dogs #flowering shrub #showy flowers #upright form #cut flower #evergreen shrub #bushy #greenhouse plant