Pan Pipes Fuchsia Heath

Pan Pipes Fuchsia Heath (Epacris hybrid 'Pan Pipes') is a compact native shrub about 80cm tall and wide, covered in tiny pointed leaves. From autumn to spring it carries long, tubular, bright pink-red flowers with white lips, and in midwinter, when most gardens are flat, it is unmistakable in full flower.

Why you'll love it

• Colour in the cold months. Flowers appear from autumn to spring, with the show at its best in midwinter.
• Flowers like a row of pipes. The long tubes with white lips explain its common names, fuchsia heath and cigarette flower.
• Compact and tidy. At 80cm tall and wide it fits a small garden bed, a courtyard or the edge of a path.
• Frost tolerant. Winter flowering suits a plant that takes cold weather in its stride.
• A good wildlife garden plant. A hybrid of two Australian heaths, Epacris longiflora and E. reclinata, it suits native and wildlife gardens.

Where it works best

Winter colour near the house. Plant it beside a path or door, 80cm from its neighbours, where the midwinter flowers get seen every day.

Native and wildlife gardens. Group three together in a mixed bed with other fine-leaved natives for a drift of bright pink-red.

Dappled shade beds. It is happiest in part shade or dappled shade, such as the edge of a tree canopy or the east side of a house.

Growing Pan Pipes Fuchsia Heath in Australia

Position and climate. Part shade or dappled shade is best, and it flowers for longer with some protection from hot sun. It is frost tolerant, so it suits warm temperate and cool temperate gardens, and sheltered subtropical positions. Add a winter mulch to plants in exposed locations.

Soil. It likes free-draining sandy soil with regular water. A thick layer of mulch keeps the roots cool and evenly moist.

Water and feed. Water regularly and keep it mulched until established, which takes around 12 weeks, and keep it watered through summer. After flowering, feed with a slow release fertiliser for natives.

Pruning. Trim lightly after flowering to shape the plant and encourage fresh growth for next winter's flowers.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Pan Pipes Fuchsia Heath as tube stock, a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly. Expect a small, bushy plant. Plant it in autumn or winter when the soil is cool and moist, and give it a season to settle before the full display.

Tube stock comes from our grower and is not always available. When the grower has none, the tube shows as sold out on this page, and the notify button emails you the day it is back.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse Australian native plants
• Plants for small gardens
• Top bird-attracting native plants
• Frost hardy plants

Common questions

When does Pan Pipes flower?

From autumn to spring, with the heaviest flowering in midwinter. That timing is exactly why gardeners grow it.

Why is it called cigarette flower?

The long, narrow tubular flowers with white lips look like tiny cigarettes with filter tips. Fuchsia heath is the other common name, for the fuchsia-like flowers.

Does it like full sun?

It prefers part shade or dappled shade. It flowers for longer with some protection from hot sun, so avoid a hot, exposed western wall.