Correa reflexa 'Brisbane Ranges'

The Brisbane Ranges are in Victoria and the Correa named after them is quite hardy. I have still to learn more about the cultivation requirements as I am a bit tentative about leaving it to its own devices.

Correa reflexa form (pink and green flowers)

This plant is summer flowering which is a nice change as there are not too many Australian Native plants which flower at this time of the year. Most are finishing around Christmas time. It is under a metre tall and wide and is exposed to full sun light most of the day. It is in a location under mallee trees and where there is some limestone rubble in the soil.

Most of these varieties are known by their original geographical location if they have some distinctive feature. Like Correa reflexa ‘Sellicks Beach’ mentioned here. This immediately indicates that it would be a good plant for coastal planting.

Correa reflexa form

We had temperatures up to 44C today. Growing the Correas where they get part of the day in dappled shade seems to save them from drying out too much. In pots they become very hot and I need to find a way of protecting the pots. Of course the best way is to get the plants in the ground where some extra mulch would keep the root systems cooler.

I found years ago with my first planting of Correas that they grew very well in the dappled shade of the mallee trees despite the root competition from the trees. And despite the water repelling nature of the mallee soils. With each plant on a dripper, a micro climate seemed to develop.

Correa reflexa 'Sellick's Beach'

The plant in the photo has been growing in part dappled shade at the base of some mallee trees for years. It grows to about 1-2 metres across and 30cm tall here. Better conditions may produce a larger plant. It makes a useful ground covering plant with its low mounded form.

As indicated by the name it is a form that is useful for coastal planting because of its salt tolerance. It is drought resistant and also appears to be moderately frost tolerant.

Correa glabra variety turnbullii

This particular Correa grows widely in the Mallee region. We found it a few weeks ago at Lowan Conservation Park. It was looking a little stressed because of the dry winter but these plants seem to have a mechanism that enables them to shut down when stressed.

One of my aims in the next couple of weeks is to begin my Correa patch. The area I have chosen is an open space amongst the mallee trees. The correas will get dappled shade for part of the day.

I wrote about this Correa some weeks ago.

Correa glabra variegated form

I was putting Correa glabra, a variegated form, on to the tables at the Spring Flower Show and Plants Sale organised by the Australian Plants Society. This is a pretty plant. Some Correas have a fruity scent in the leaves, which makes them good to grow near a path where the leaves can be brushed as people walk past them.

Correa glabra exists in a number of forms. What I have is a variegated form which has yellow blotches. The leaves are shiny and the blotching is better seen when the plant is growing out in the open. These Correas need to be tip pruned to keep them dense bushes. A friend made a practice of pinching the top couple of leaves of each branch on the bushes and alsways had prolific flowering as a result. This works with many species.

This particular species grows to about half a metre high and wide and grows well in clay soils that dry and crack in the heat of summer.

Correa ‘Pink Mist’ has been around for years and is a very hardy small to medium shrub.

Correa 'Pink Mist'

Correa reflexa has many hardy forms and one is Correa reflexa ‘Sellick’s Beach’. This one is a good coastal plant and also a good understory plant, growing amonst mallee trees. It forms a low mound to about 30cm high and 1-2m wide. It has dark pink and yellow flowers.

Correa reflexa 'Sellicks Beach'

Correa pulchella (White)

This delightful Correa is probably the one that is called Kangaroo Island form. It is the Correa referred to in a previous post. Click here to read the information.