This is a Leucadendron (Proteacea) probably Leucadendron discolor or a closely related hybrid. It’s a South African plant, growing in a Californian garden as a drought tolerant species. I found this one in the garden outside the Santa Cruz Art League (http://www.scal.org). With increasing drought here in California, gardeners are choosing pretty drought tolerant plants. Native Californian species are of course best for wildlife, but Australian and South African species do here as well. There is a good collection of them grouped by region at the UCSC Arboretum ( http://arboretum.ucsc.edu), if you want to see the options. They also often sell plants as well, so stop by the gift shop on your way out.