Poorinda Ecstasy Waxflower

Poorinda Ecstasy Waxflower (Crowea exalata hybrid 'Poorinda Ecstasy') is a neat native shrub of about 1m tall and 1m across, carrying pink star shaped flowers over a long season. It is both frost hardy and drought tolerant once established, an unusual pairing in a shrub this small and this tidy. It is the answer for native colour in a garden that has run out of room.

Why you'll love it

• A long flowering season. Pink flowers appear over months rather than weeks, with the heaviest flush in autumn.
• It holds its own shape. A rounded 1m by 1m habit means no shearing to keep it looking deliberate.
• Frost and dry both handled. Frost hardy for cool gardens, drought tolerant once the roots are down.
• Bees and butterflies work it. Small open flowers are easy for insects to feed on, so it earns its place in a wildlife garden.

Where it works best

Borders, edging and mass planting. Plant 60cm apart for a full mass planting that reads as one soft band of foliage. Along a path edge, a single row at the same spacing keeps the line clean.

Pots and containers. A 300mm to 400mm pot suits it for years, though container plants dry out faster than garden plants.

Rockeries and small gardens. It sits comfortably between stones and among low natives, and at this size it will not overrun a narrow bed.

Growing Poorinda Ecstasy Waxflower in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the best flowering and the tightest habit. It suits warm temperate, cool temperate, subtropical and Mediterranean gardens, and being frost hardy it handles cold southern winters. Arid and semi-arid gardens are outside its comfort zone.

Soil. Free draining is the requirement. On clay, raise the bed and open it up with coarse compost, because sitting wet kills these plants faster than cold or dry ever will. Mulch 50mm deep, clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Water twice a week through the first summer, then taper to occasional deep soaks. A light native fertiliser after flowering is all it asks, and heavy feeding does more harm than good.

Pruning. Tip prune lightly once the main flush finishes. Regular light trimming keeps it dense from the base, whereas a hard cut into bare old wood is slow to recover.

What to expect when it arrives

This one is grown as tube stock, so what arrives is a young plant of a few branches in a small root trainer, not a shrub in flower. That is the right way to buy it: tubes establish faster than larger pots, and with a minimum order of $300 before delivery you are buying enough for a genuine mass planting.

Tubes travel well because they are light and compact. Plant within a week of arrival, expect a season to fill out, and count on the first real flowering display in its second year. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the Australian native shrub range
• Low maintenance shrubs for Australian gardens
• Plants suited to rockeries
• Why tube stock is the value choice

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

Plant 60cm apart for a full mass planting or a continuous border. Wider spacing of about 1m works if you want each plant to read as a separate rounded shrub.

Will it survive frost?

Yes. It is frost hardy, so cool temperate gardens with regular winter frosts suit it well. Young plants still appreciate a season of shelter before their first hard winter.

Can I grow it in a pot?

Yes, and it is one of the better small natives for containers at 1m tall. Use a free draining mix in a 300mm to 400mm pot with a working drainage hole, and water more often than you would in the ground.

Why is my plant dropping leaves and dying back?

Almost always wet feet. Waxflowers hate waterlogged soil, so check the drainage first, then ease back on watering before you reach for anything else.