Dusky Bells Native Fuchsia

Dusky Bells Native Fuchsia (Correa 'Dusky Bells') is a low spreading native shrub, about 50cm high and 1.5m across, that hangs its dusky pink and red bells along the branches through autumn and winter. That timing is the point: it feeds honeyeaters in the cool months when most gardens have nothing in flower. Planted 1m apart it forms a dense evergreen groundcover that holds a slope and asks for very little.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers when nothing else does. The bells open through autumn and winter and often continue into early spring.
• A honeyeater favourite. Eastern spinebills and other small honeyeaters feed at the tubular flowers all winter.
• Wide, low and dense. One plant covers 1.5m of ground at knee height, which suppresses weeds without blocking a view.
• Handles tough ground. Frost, drought, salt wind and poor soil are all within its range once established.

Where it works best

Groundcover and mass planting. Plant 1m apart and the plants meet within two seasons. On a bank, set them in staggered rows so the roots hold the soil across the whole face.

Coastal gardens. The small leathery leaves shrug off salt wind, which makes it one of the more reliable flowering groundcovers for a beachside block.

Borders and rockeries. Its low mounding habit spills naturally over a path edge or between rocks, and it takes a light trim to keep the line neat.

Growing Dusky Bells in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade, with light afternoon shade an advantage in hot inland gardens. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and mediterranean climates and is frost hardy once established, so cold southern districts are no obstacle.

Soil. Free draining soil matters more than fertility, and it grows happily in sandy or gravelly ground. On clay, plant on a raised mound and work coarse compost through the bed. Mulch lightly, keeping it clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first summer, then only in long dry spells. Feed once in early spring with a low phosphorus native fertiliser; correas are sensitive to phosphorus, so avoid general garden and lawn products.

Pruning. Trim lightly in late spring once flowering finishes to keep the mound dense and stop the centre opening up. Avoid cutting into thick bare wood, as it reshoots reluctantly from old stems.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown as tube stock, as a 140mm pack of ten and as a 200mm pack of six. Tubes are the value option for covering a bank or a large bed, since correas establish quickly from small sizes. The 140mm pack of ten covers about 10 square metres at 1m spacing, while the 200mm plants are larger and better suited to a visible border where you want presence sooner.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Expect a slow first month, then spreading growth through the first warm season and a light flowering display in the first autumn after planting. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse Australian native shrubs
• Compare low spreading groundcovers
• Native plants that bring birds into the garden
• Plants for rockeries and gravel gardens

Common questions

How many plants do I need to cover a bank?

At 1m spacing, allow ten plants for every ten square metres. Tighter spacing closes the gaps a season earlier but does not change the final result.

Is it related to true fuchsia?

No. The common name comes from the hanging bell flowers, but this is an Australian correa and it wants the sharp drainage and low phosphorus feeding that natives prefer.

Does it need much water?

Very little once established, which usually takes a first full summer. In most gardens it survives on rainfall after that, with a deep soak during extended dry weather.