Pink Scarlet Kunzea

Pink Scarlet Kunzea (Kunzea baxteri 'Pink') is a Western Australian shrub grown for large bottlebrush flowers, here in soft pink rather than the usual fiery red. It makes a rounded bush around 2.5m tall and wide, and the flowers hold enough nectar to bring honeyeaters in from several gardens away. Given full sun and sharp drainage it is one of the toughest flowering natives you can plant.

Why you'll love it

• Large flowers in an uncommon colour. The brushes are substantial, and pink is rare in this genus, so you get the bottlebrush look without the usual red.
• A honeyeater magnet. Nectar rich flowers pull in wattlebirds and honeyeaters, along with native bees and butterflies.
• Real drought tolerance. Once the roots are down it lives on rain in most temperate and Mediterranean gardens.
• Poor soil suits it. Sand, gravel and thin infertile ground are what it evolved on. Rich soil and heavy feeding do more harm than good.
• Coastal and salt tolerant. It stands up to salt laden wind, so it works on exposed blocks where many flowering shrubs burn.

Where it works best

Feature planting. A single plant in a dry sunny bed reads as a specimen when it flowers, and the rounded form holds up without clipping.

Informal screening. Plant 1.5m apart for an informal screen. It will not clip into a formal hedge, but you get a soft, bird filled barrier.

Mass planting and coastal gardens. On a dry bank or a wide verge, set plants 1.5m to 2m apart. On a coastal block, use it a line back from the front fence.

Growing Pink Scarlet Kunzea in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun all day with open air around it. This is a warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid to semi-arid plant, and it takes light frost only. Its weakness is not cold but humidity, so humid subtropical and tropical gardens do not suit it.

Soil. Sharp drainage is not negotiable. Sandy or gravelly ground is ideal. On clay, plant on a mound 300mm high and mulch with gravel rather than heavy bark.

Water and feed. Deep water weekly through the first summer, then only in extended dry spells. Feed lightly in early spring with a low phosphorus native fertiliser, since standard products carry too much phosphorus for this family.

Pruning. Trim lightly straight after flowering, removing spent brushes and about a third of the new growth. Never cut into bare old wood, because it does not reshoot from it.

What to expect when it arrives

We grow it in two sizes. Tube stock is a young single stemmed plant and the most affordable way to plant a group, and tubes establish quickly because the root system is fine and fibrous. The 140mm pack of 10 gives a larger plant on arrival and covers a screen run at 1.5m spacing in one order.

Expect a plant that looks unremarkable through its first year while the roots go down, then a jump in growth and first flowers in the second or third season. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Leptospermum care guide, a close relative
• More Australian native shrubs
• Bird attracting plants for the garden
• Plants for arid and dry climates

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a screen?

One and a half metres apart in a single row. Each plant reaches about 2.5m across, so that spacing lets the canopies overlap into a continuous barrier without crowding the bases.

Will it grow in a humid climate?

It struggles. Prolonged humidity is the main thing that kills this species, so in humid subtropical and tropical gardens expect a short lived plant even with good drainage.

Can I prune it hard to reduce its size?

No. It will not reshoot from bare wood, so a hard cut back usually kills the branch. Manage size with a light trim after every flowering, starting the year you plant it.