Lemon Scented Darwinia

Lemon Scented Darwinia (Darwinia citriodora) is a Western Australian native that pays you back every time you brush past it. The fine blue green foliage releases a sharp lemon scent when touched, and through the cooler months the stem tips colour up red and orange with nectar rich flowers that honeyeaters work over. It forms a soft spreading mound about 1.2m tall and 1.5m wide.

Why you'll love it

• Lemon scented foliage. Crush a leaf or walk past and the citrus scent lifts. Plant it beside a path or doorway where people brush against it.
• Birds come for it. The red and orange bracts hold nectar through winter and early spring, which is when honeyeaters most need the food.
• Coastal and salt tolerant. Wind off the water and salt spray do not trouble it, so it holds up on exposed front gardens where softer shrubs burn.
• Poor soil is an advantage. Sandy, gravelly, low fertility ground suits it, and rich soil with heavy feeding does more harm than good.

Where it works best

Coastal gardens. Salt tolerance and a low spreading habit make it a solid front line plant on a coastal block, where it copes with wind that shreds broader leaved shrubs.

Rockeries, small gardens and pots. Sharp drainage is the one thing it insists on, so a rockery or raised gravel bank suits it, and a pot 400mm or wider of free draining native mix works where the ground is heavy clay.

Growing lemon scented darwinia in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun with open air movement around the plant. It suits warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and it takes light frost only, so hard frosting inland districts are marginal. It also dislikes humid summer wet, so in the subtropics and tropics grow it in a pot under an eave.

Soil. Very free draining, and that is not negotiable. Sandy or gravelly soil is ideal. On clay, build a raised mound at least 300mm high with coarse sand and gravel through it.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer to settle the roots, then only during long dry spells. Use a low phosphorus native fertiliser lightly in early spring, or skip feeding altogether in decent soil.

Pruning. Tip prune lightly straight after flowering to keep the mound dense. Never cut into old bare wood, because it does not reliably reshoot from it.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes two ways: tube stock, or 140mm plants in a pack of ten. Tubes are young and single stemmed, and for natives that is often the better start, because a small root system adapts to your soil rather than sulking in a hole. The 140mm packs suit a rockery or a mass planting.

The fine foliage can look dry after a few days in transit, so water it in, shade it for a week and give it time before judging. Expect slow growth in the first season while the roots go down. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, under our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the wider Australian native shrub range.
• See other natives with red flowers.
• Compare more bird attracting plants for a nectar garden.
• Find companions among coastal and salt tolerant plants.

Common questions

Will it grow in a humid subtropical garden?

It is difficult there. Warm wet summers cause root and collar rot in a plant adapted to a dry Western Australian summer. If you want to try, use a pot of gritty native mix under an eave.

What fertiliser should I use?

A low phosphorus native formulation applied lightly in early spring, or nothing at all in sandy soil. High phosphorus products damage the roots of Western Australian natives and cause sudden decline.

When and how do I prune it?

Tip prune immediately after flowering finishes, taking no more than the soft outer growth. Cutting into old bare wood usually leaves a permanent gap, so shape it little and often from a young age.