Eremophila, a very under rated Garden Plant

The summer of 2006/7 was quite dry and to make matters worse we had water restrictions in Melbourne and my one and only water tank had very little water in it. So to say that water for the garden was a scarcity was an understatement.

I’d just planted out my new garden just a few months earlier and most of the plants were just surviving let along actually growing. The exceptions to this were about 3 or 4 Eremophilas that I’d planted. These plants were doing really well, putting on new growth and getting ready to flower for the autumn, winter and spring period. They seemed to be thriving despite the lack of water and were living up to their reputation as being really drought tolerant plants.

It was because of this that I decided that these plants had earned the right to occupy a much larger piece of my garden. Also because these plants come in so many varieties I knew I’d have no shortage of variations to choose from. The only problem was that most nurseries didn’t stock them. If I was to fill my garden with them I’d have to go to some specialty Australian native plant nurseries. Luckily though in the meantime I came across a local market with quite a few plant stalls and these turned out to be a real treasure trove.

Now just before I go any further I here’s just a few facts about this Eremophilas for those of you that are wondering.

• The Genus Eremophila is exclusively Australian and basically means “desert loving”.
• They’re found mainly in arid inland areas of the continent. Hence their drought tolerance.
• They can be found growing in acid and alkaline soils that range from sand to clay.
• There are hundreds of species, subspecies and hybrids.
• They range from prostrate ground covers all the way to small trees.
• The flower colours come in nearly every shade of a rainbow and the size and shape also vary.
• Most are very adaptable and easy to grow while some are very fussy about their growing conditions but can be grafted onto more reliable rootstock.
• Most are easily propagated by cuttings but seed can be a bit more challenging.
• Most respond well the harsh pruning and in fact form a much more attractive plant when pruned after flowering.
• Quite a few are reasonably fast growing which makes them a good option to fill space quickly.

It’s probably also important to point out that not all varieties are adaptable to all situations. The area that I live in has typically cold wet winters and dry hot summers and the natural soil in the area is a clayey loam that doesn’t always drain all that well. As a consequence I’ve raised my garden beds and improved the clay. Despite this, I’ve tried to use varieties that are considered to be adaptable in their requirements. So far and haven’t had any trouble finding over 20 different species, sub-species and hybrids to grow in my garden. As time goes by I’ll write about each of them. Just for now though here’s a list of what I’ve got growing in my garden at the moment.

E Alternifolia x Maculata, blue
E Biseratta, Prostrate Red
E Calorhabdos
E Eriocalyx, purple flowers
E Gieslii prostrate
E Glabra, prostrate green
E Glabra ssp Carnosa
E Hillii
E Maculata, Apricot
E Maculata, Winter Gold
E Maculata, “Aurea”
E Maculata x Alternifolia, Magneta Dream syn Blue Thunder
E Maculata, compact red flowers
E Maculata, Pink Form
E Maculata, Thundercloud
E Oppositifolia, Royal Purple
E Racemosa
E Subteretifolia
E Summertime Blue
E Yanna Road
E Weldii

I also have three other Eremophilas that I’m not quite sure of the variety due to them not having labels when I bought them. They all worth mentioning so here’s what I think they are;

E Bignoniiflora x Polyclada
E Nivea x Oppositifolia
E Racemosa, with flowers that start out yellow and then fade to white

The only other Eremophila that I’ve tried that didn’t survive was E Drummondii which died despite having a reputation for being hardy. Maybe it didn’t like the phosphorus in the soil, but I can’t confirm this.

In summing up I can only say that the Eremophila is a plant that deserves to be used more often in gardens and landscaping. Many Australian native plant gardeners have always known just what a great plant Eremophilas are but this plant really does deserves to become more mainstream. It is a very drought tolerant plant and seems to thrive on a lack of water. It can flower profusely and put on a great display, the more you prune it the better it looks, most are easy to grow and the ones that I’ve tried are relatively easy to propagate from cuttings.

I think it’s a fantastic garden plant. After all if a garden plant can not only survive on a lack of water but also grow and thrive on a lack of water, then it has to good.