Family: ACANTHACEAE
We found just one of these plants at the Bunyas last weekend, by the car park at the Carbine’s Chute walk. They were obviously very happy with their shady, forest-edge site.
It’s a soft little sub-shrub which could be a could be a particularly useful garden plant.
It flowers well in the shade, preferring a well-mulched site. Though looking its best in damp soil, this is is actually a remarkably drought hardy plant.
These frilly pink flowers appear in early winter, just at the time when so many other flowers have given up until spring.
2 comments:
Hello Trish,
I am sure that my aunt was growing these in here garden at Geham 20 years ago. Mum took some cuttings and established a patch in our front garden in Dalby where they grew without any water or maintenance other than a very heavy cut back every year. I think they have been removed and replaced with some exotic hibiscus and roses which is a bit sad I suppose.
Righto then
Mick
You do see it occasionally in gardens. I had a plant growing in my snuffy red soil, (which dries out rather quickly to a depth which is probably below this little plants' roots) and lost it some years ago in in the drought. I think that for it to have shade for at least half the day is important, too.
Trish
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