Purple Plumed Featherflower

Purple Plumed Featherflower (Verticordia plumosa 'Purple') is a compact Western Australian native shrub that covers itself in fluffy purple flowers through spring and summer. It grows 50cm to 1m tall and wide, with feathery foliage that makes a soft backdrop for the blooms. It is a plant for sunny, free-draining sites and dry summers, and its flowers last well when cut.

Why you'll love it

• Fluffy purple flowers. Masses of small plume-like blooms cover the shrub through spring and summer.
• Feathery foliage. The species name plumosa means feathery, and the fine leaves give the plant a soft texture all year.
• Compact size. At 50cm to 1m high and wide it fits even the smallest of gardens.
• Drought resistant. Once established it copes with dry spells, and it tolerates light frost.
• Good for wildlife and vases. It attracts wildlife to the garden, and the flowers are long lasting when cut.

Where it works best

Feature shrub. Give it an open, sunny spot where air can move around it and it is not crowded by other plants.

Low informal hedge. Plant 60cm apart for a soft, flowering hedge about a metre high, trimmed lightly after flowering.

Native mixed plantings and small gardens. It sits well among other native shrubs and grevilleas, adding purple to plantings that are mostly red, yellow and pink.

Sandy sites. It loves sandy, well-drained soil and full sun, so it suits sandy gardens and borders.

Growing Purple Plumed Featherflower in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the best flowering, but it tolerates a partly shaded spot. It prefers low humidity, dry summers and wet winters, which means Mediterranean and drier warm temperate gardens, and it tolerates light frost. In humid eastern gardens it is harder to keep, so give it a raised bed or pot with sharp drainage and plenty of airflow.

Soil. Free-draining sandy soil. Avoid heavy clay and richly fed beds, which suit it poorly.

Water and feed. Mulch the bed but keep the mulch clear of the stem, and water directly onto the soil for around 12 weeks while the plant establishes. A yearly feed of slow release native fertiliser is enough.

Pruning. Cut it back lightly after flowering, and tip prune a little and often through the year to build dense growth and plenty of flowers next season. Avoid cutting back into bare old wood.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Purple Plumed Featherflower as tube stock, a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly. It arrives as a small, fine-leaved shrub and fills out over its first season or two. Plants travel upright, so unpack them promptly, water them in and plant them into well-drained soil.

Tube stock comes from our grower and is not always available. When the grower has none, the tube shows as sold out on the 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

• Australian native shrubs
• Drought tolerant plants
• Plants for small gardens
• Designing a native garden to attract wildlife

Common questions

Can I grow it in a humid climate?

It is harder there, because it prefers low humidity, dry summers and wet winters. Use a raised bed or a pot of sandy mix, full sun and open airflow, and water into the soil rather than over the foliage.

When and how should I prune it?

Cut it lightly after flowering, and keep tip pruning a little and often so it stays dense and flowers well next season. Never cut hard into leafless old stems.

Can I pick the flowers?

Yes. The fluffy purple flowers are long lasting when cut, and picking them with a short stem also acts as a light prune.