Pink Phebalium

Pink Phebalium (Phebalium 'Woombye Pink') is an Australian native shrub that covers itself in small pink starry flowers in late winter and spring. It settles at about 1.5m tall and 1.2m wide, with fine aromatic foliage that stays neat without much work. For native flowering colour that is not yellow or red, it is one of the few options that also clips into a tidy shape.

Why you'll love it

• Pink flowers on a native. Clusters of small pink stars smother the plant in late winter and spring, when most gardens are quiet.
• A useful size. It fits under a window, along a fence line or in a large pot without ever needing serious cutting back.
• Tough where it counts. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, wind tolerant and content in poor soil, so it earns its place in a low input garden.
• Feeds the garden. Bees and butterflies work the flowers heavily, and the fine foliage gives small birds somewhere to shelter.

Where it works best

Low informal hedging. Plant 1m apart for a soft hedge to about 1.5m. At that spacing the plants meet without crowding, which matters for a shrub that dislikes damp still air around its base.

Mass planting and borders. Grouped at 1m spacing through a native bed it gives a long block of pink and a neat outline along a driveway.

Feature planting and pots. A single plant carries a corner of a native garden, and a pot 400mm or wider suits it if the mix drains sharply.

Growing Pink Phebalium in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the heaviest flowering and the tightest habit; part shade brings fewer flowers and looser growth. It suits subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate gardens and is frost hardy, so cold southern and tableland districts are fine.

Soil. This is the make or break point. It needs sharp drainage and will not tolerate heavy, wet ground. On clay, plant high on a mound with coarse sand and gravel through the backfill, and use a gravel or coarse bark mulch kept well clear of the stem.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then only in long dry spells. Use a low phosphorus native fertiliser after flowering, since standard garden fertilisers can harm plants in this family.

Pruning. Trim lightly straight after flowering, taking no more than a third of the season's growth. Regular light trims keep it dense. Cutting back into old bare wood is risky, because it does not always reshoot.

What to expect when it arrives

It is supplied as tube stock: a well rooted young plant around 15cm to 25cm tall, not a flowering specimen. Small natives transplant with far less setback than larger ones, which is why the shrub is grown and sold this way.

Expect the first flowers in the second season and a plant near mature size in three to four years. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Water in well, keep mulch off the stem and be patient through the first winter. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the wider Australian native shrub range.
• Compare screening plants that hold 1m to 2m.
• Read about plants that thrive in poor soil.
• See more bee and butterfly plants.

Common questions

How far apart for a hedge?

One metre apart gives a soft informal hedge to about 1.5m. Closer planting traps humidity around the base, which this shrub does not enjoy.

Will it grow in clay?

Only if you raise it. Plant on a mound at least 200mm above the surrounding soil with plenty of coarse sand and gravel worked in, and never let water sit around the roots.

Can I cut it back hard?

Better not to. Light trims after flowering each year keep it compact, whereas hard pruning into bare old wood may not reshoot. Start trimming from the first year rather than trying to fix a leggy plant later.