Velvet correa (Correa backhouseana)

When it flowers

January, not flowering
February, not flowering
March, not flowering
April, flowering
May, flowering
June, flowering
July, flowering
August, flowering
September, flowering
October, not flowering
November, not flowering
December, not flowering

Correa backhouseana, Cape Otway, Victoria, Australia. Photo: Melburnian, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Correa backhousiana. Photo: Michael Wolf, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Dense coastal correa with felty leaves and cream-lime bells through the cooler months.

A tough, dense shrub from Tasmanian and Victorian coasts with soft, velvety leaves and pale cream to lime bells from autumn into spring. Excellent for hedging and windbreaks by the sea.

In the garden

Hedging
Windbreak
Under trees

Attracts: Birds
Flowers: Hanging cream to pale lime bells, about 2.5 cm long.
Leaves: Oval leaves, dark green above, felty rusty-brown underneath.

Growing conditions

Light: Full sun to full shade
Soil: Sandy, loam and clay
Drainage: Needs good drainage
Frost: Moderate frost
Water: Very drought tolerant
Coast: Exposed to salt spray
Climate: Dry summers (Mediterranean), temperate and cool and alpine

Planting and care

Grown from: Cuttings

Planting

Sun to shade, including exposed coastal sites. Space 1.2 m apart for a hedge.

Pruning

Clip after flowering; takes regular trimming.

Care

Water in long dry spells. Avoid heavy feeding; a little slow-release native fertiliser in spring is plenty.

Where it comes from

Family: Rutaceae
Order: Sapindales
Native to: Tasmania and Victoria
Natural range: Coastal scrub of Tasmania and far south-western Victoria.

Widely available.

We don't have stockists listed for this plant yet. Local native nurseries are often the best place to ask.

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Velvet correa Correa backhouseana