Can't help you with the colour of your leucospermum, but I can tell you they come from South Africa.

I am no expert, but I believe that they need a combination of cold and sunshine to colour up really well. I think there is a GardenWeb forum on South African plants. I would suggest you post there. They might have more knowledge on the subject.
Cheers,
Dee.

Thank you both for your suggestion that I visit the SA gardenweb. Actually, I have posted there. I haven't gotten any responses. So took a chance that maybe some of you may be growing these plants and would offer advice.

Re cold and warm. I am in an area that gets a freeze in the winter (so I winter protect my plants) and that gets really, really hot in the summer (often a 100 degrees -- sorry i don't know what that would be in Celsius).

My plants are new, but are flowering profusely. They just seem to lack intensity of color.

Thanx again for any advice you can offer.

I think that the weather conditions are your problem then, because they need the sun and cold together for intense colour I believe. It sounds like you really can't do much about that, so just enjoy them the way they are. I'm sure they are still very attractive!
Cheers,
Dee.

Thanx Dee --

They, indeed, are quite lovely. And the hummingbirds really like them too!

As with all plants, leucospermum take the colour of their 'parents', therefore, you may have stock from inferior coloured plants. If this is the case, you can't change that.
What exact plants do you have? I have saffari sunsets which have intense colour. We have good frosts here and they come through very well, with no damage. I could send you some cuttings if you are interested.
I also have a couple of yellow glows, if this is the colour required.
Let me know,
Karen.

Thanx Karen,

I have 'Tango' and a new cultivar called 'Dennis' Red' which I got from a local nursery.

I would love to have cuttings. please e-mail me offline, so we can swap addresses.

Perhaps you are right, that the parent plants themselves are the problem. I was thinking though, it just may be the intensity of the sunlight in my area -- washing out the flower color. Trying differet cultivars (and/or different plants of the same cultivars) would certainly test my theory.

Thank you for your offer of cuttings. i look forward to talking with you further.

Karen,
If you send live plant material from Australia to the USA you will have to go through an expensive phytosanitary procedure sanctioned by the appropriate quarantine authorities and have the appropriate permits (or jxa44 will, anyway).
If you do not you will expose yourself to appropriately harsh sanctions for illegal export/import of live plant material.
Just thought I should mention it in case you weren't aware...

Here is a link that might be useful: APHIS

Thank you Karen for the reminder.

I was not aware/did not notice) that the other Karen that reponded to my thread is not in the US (I am in California). I am sure I would have figured it out when we exchanged mail addressess offline.

However, the reminder is good for those of us who may not know that there are import restrictions. Thanx again.

The sun would not be the problem with the plant, as the sun tends to enhance the colour of leucospermum.
Thanks for the reminder of international exchanges. Did not realise this was the case.