Emu Bush

Emu Bush 'Roseworthy' (Eremophila 'Roseworthy') is a compact Australian native built for the hard, dry, sunbaked part of a garden. It grows to about 1m tall and spreads to around 1.5m, wider than it is high, with grey green foliage and tubular red flowers that honeyeaters work through for months. Where other shrubs need irrigation to look presentable, this one prefers to be left alone.

Why you'll love it

• Red flowers over a long season. Tubular blooms held along the stems, produced generously and shaped for a honeyeater's beak.
• Real drought and heat tolerance. This is a dry country genus. Once the roots are down it carries through hot, rainless stretches on very little water.
• Poor soil is an advantage. Thin, gravelly ground suits it, while rich soil and regular feeding give soft growth and fewer flowers.
• Low and spreading. At roughly 1m by 1.5m it fills a bed at knee height without needing to be cut back off a path.
• Bird attracting and low maintenance. No feeding schedule, no spray program, one light trim a year.

Where it works best

Mass planting. Plant 1.2m apart for continuous cover. At that spacing the plants meet without crowding, which matters because a crowded eremophila holds humidity and loses branches.

Rockeries and gravel gardens. It belongs among stone and gravel, where drainage is sharp and reflected heat is high.

Small gardens, borders and edging. The low spreading habit suits a front garden bed or the sunny edge of a driveway.

Growing emu bush in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, with no compromise. It suits arid and semi-arid, Mediterranean, warm temperate and subtropical gardens. Frost tolerance is light only, so hard frosting inland and southern gardens need a sheltered warm position. In humid summers, plant it high on a mound.

Soil. Free draining and lean. Sand, gravel and stony loam are ideal, and it tolerates ground that defeats most flowering shrubs. On clay it must go on a raised mound with grit worked through, or it will not last a wet winter.

Water and feed. Deep water weekly for the first two months, then taper to almost nothing. Feeding is largely unnecessary; if you feed at all, use a low phosphorus native fertiliser at half rate in early spring.

Pruning. Trim lightly after the main flowering flush to keep the plant compact. Take a third of the growth at most, and avoid cutting into bare old wood, which is slow to reshoot.

What to expect when it arrives

This variety is grown as tube stock. Each plant arrives young, usually a single stem with a few branches, and it will look small against a bed that needs filling. That is the right way to buy this genus: eremophilas resent root disturbance, and a tube establishes faster than a larger pot.

Plant into prepared ground within a few days of arrival, water it in, then step back. Expect little visible growth for the first month, then steady spread through the first warm season and flowers from the second. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, under our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the range of Australian native shrubs.
• Compare other drought tolerant plants.
• See companions in the rockery plants collection.
• Read about bird attracting natives.

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

Space plants 1.2m apart for a mass planting. Each plant spreads to about 1.5m, so that gives continuous cover with the branches just touching, and leaves enough air movement to avoid rot in humid weather.

How much water does it actually need?

Weekly deep watering for the first two months, then very little. Established plants are far more likely to die from too much water than too little, particularly over winter.

Can I grow it in a pot?

Yes, provided the mix is gritty and the pot drains freely. Use a cactus and succulent blend, keep it in full sun, and water only once the mix is dry through.