Leucospermum reflexum var. reflexum flowerhead late

The old, open Leucospermum reflexum var. reflexum flowerhead gave the plant its common name of rocket pincushion. The reflexed red styles are thought to resemble the fire that follows a launched rocket.

Each flowerhead blooms for a short period, about a week, but large numbers on each shrub in season and quick succession of flowerheads make up for that, keeping the show impressive. The plant is well established in horticulture (Manning, 2009; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; http://pza.sanbi.org).