The Malmesbury conebush has finely textured foliage with lanky tall stems. It is suited to an informal fynbos garden where it can be planted in amongst other plants with larger more dense foliage. In spring the tall flowering stems are very attractive. It requires a spot in full sun with well-drained soil and regular water. The Malmesbury conebush is easy to grow and establish in a garden and simply requires an annual feeding of well-decomposed compost. Prune lightly to neaten bushes.

Propagate plants from either cuttings or seed. Sowing seed is the easier method and requires no specialist equipment.

Make cuttings from December to March (summer to autumn). The cuttings should be semi-hardwood, 60-100mm long, and taken from the current season's growth. Dip the cuttings into a rooting hormone solution or powder and plant them into a medium of 50% polystyrene and 50% finely milled pine bark. Place in a growing house with bottom heat (25°C). Once the roots are well-developed, remove from bottom heat and harden the cuttings off for three weeks. Plant the individual cuttings into small bags and grow on until ready to plant into the garden.

Sow seed in April when the days are warm and the nights start to cool down (late summer to autumn). Dust the seed with a systemic fungicide. Sow on a well-drained medium, firm down and cover with a layer of sand or finely milled bark. Seed can be sown in an open seedbed, or in a seed tray placed in a sunny position. Germination begins after two to three weeks. Once two true leaves have grown, prick the seedlings out and plant into small bags. Place the seedlings in a lightly shaded area with good air circulation. When plants are ±50-100mm tall, or after one year's growth, they can be planted into the garden.

You can also sow seed directly where you want the plants to grow. Plant, cover lightly with soil, and water.

Once members of the Protea family become diseased they are very difficult to treat, and it is better to prevent disease, rather than try to cure it. Make sure your environmental conditions are correct. This includes getting direct sunlight for most of the day, a sandy well-drained soil, and good air circulation ensuring that the aboveground parts of the plant dry quickly after watering. It is also important to ensure that the soil stays cool in the hot months and that roots are not disturbed by digging. A thick layer of mulch or surrounding planting can be used to keep the soil cool and prevent moisture loss. If any of these factors are out of balance, plants become weak and stressed, and generally become infected with pests or disease.