Browse plants / Scrophulariaceae
Narrow-leaf fuchsia bush Eremophila alternifolia
Also called Poverty bush
When it flowers
- January, not flowering
- February, not flowering
- March, not flowering
- April, not flowering
- May, not flowering
- June, flowering
- July, flowering
- August, flowering
- September, flowering
- October, flowering
- November, not flowering
- December, not flowering
Inland shrub with spotted pink, red or cream tubular flowers through winter and spring.
A hardy, open shrub from inland Australia with narrow, sticky leaves and curved tubular flowers spotted inside. Flower colour varies from pink and red to cream. A favourite of honeyeaters in dry gardens.
In the garden
- Leaves
- Narrow, sticky, dark green leaves.
- Attracts
- Birds
- Flowers
- Curved tubular flowers, pink, red or cream with spotted throats.
Growing conditions
- Light
- Full sun
- Soil
- Sandy, loam and clay
- Soil pH
- Neutral and alkaline
- Drainage
- Needs good drainage
- Frost
- Moderate frost
- Water
- Very drought tolerant
- Climate
- Arid and semi-arid, dry summers (Mediterranean) and temperate
Planting and care
- Grown from
- Cuttings and grafting
Planting
Full sun in very well-drained soil; copes with alkaline soil. In humid or heavy-soil areas, choose a plant grafted onto Myoporum rootstock.
Pruning
Prune by up to a third after flowering to keep it dense.
Care
Water only in long dry spells; overwatering and humid, wet soil cause root rot and leaf drop. No feeding needed.
Where it comes from
- Family
- Scrophulariaceae
- Order
- Lamiales
- Native to
- New South Wales, Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia
- Natural range
- Rocky hills and plains of arid and semi-arid Australia.
Where to buy
Specialist native nurseries.
We don't have stockists listed for this plant yet. Local native nurseries are often the best place to ask.
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Further reading
- Eremophila alternifolia on the Atlas of Living Australia (Atlas of Living Australia)
Native nurseries near you
An independent list of nurseries that specialise in Australian native plants. Nobody pays to be on it. Distances are approximate and in a straight line. Opening hours and stock vary, so check before you go.