Darwinia

Darwinias were once considered to be very temperamental plants that were likely to drop dead, but they are now available grafted onto a hardy understock and are much easier to grow. Don looked at Darwinia lejostyla, an Australian native shrub to 1m (3') which comes from the Stirling Range and Middle Mount Barren. A widely available cultivar is 'Coolamon Pink'. It has lovely pink bell-shaped flowers which are larger than the normal flower forms, and an exceptionally long flowering season. The foliage is bright green and compact. The species name lejostyla means smooth style. This darwinia was previously known as D. leiostyla.

Darwinias like a position in full sun to semi-shade, with good drainage and a cool root run. Good air circulation around the plant is also important, as still, shady and moist areas may encourage grey mould. They do well in pots, look great in cottage style gardens, and the flowers can be dried and used for arrangements. They grow in most areas of Australia except for the hot tropics, and are sold at specialist native plant nurseries.

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