Thryptomene ‘F.C. Payne’

Thryptomene 'F.C. Payne' (Thryptomene saxicola 'F.C. Payne') flowers when most of the garden has stopped. This Western Australian native forms a low arching mound about 1.2m tall and 1.5m wide, and from late autumn through spring the fine stems are smothered in tiny pink flowers. It asks for sun, sharp drainage and very little else.

Why you'll love it

• Colour through the cold months. It carries flowers from late autumn into spring, covering the long gap when most shrubs are doing nothing.
• A cut flower worth growing. The arching sprays last well in a vase, so the plant earns its place indoors as well as out.
• Built for hard sites. Drought tolerant, salt tolerant and unbothered by poor soil or frost, it handles coastal and dry inland gardens that defeat softer shrubs.
• Bees and small birds use it. Thousands of small flowers mean steady nectar for pollinators and honeyeaters right through winter.

Where it works best

Mass planting. Plant 1m apart. At that spacing the arching stems interlock into a low continuous drift without crowding the crowns, which matters on a plant that dislikes still, damp air.

Rockeries and slopes. Raised, gritty positions give the drainage it needs, and the habit spills naturally over rock and retaining walls.

Borders, pots and small gardens. It holds a tidy shape at 1.2m without shearing, so it suits a front border or a large container on a hot courtyard.

Growing Thryptomene 'F.C. Payne' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, and the more air movement the better. It suits warm temperate, Mediterranean, cool temperate and arid to semi arid gardens, and it is frost hardy. In humid subtropical and tropical gardens it is a poor bet, because wet summer air brings on stem rot.

Soil. Drainage is the whole game. Sandy or gravelly ground is ideal, and on clay you must plant on a raised mound of coarse, free draining mix. Use gravel or coarse bark mulch, not a fine moisture holding one.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer to establish, then only in long dry spells. Feed lightly with a low phosphorus native fertiliser after flowering, or skip it entirely on reasonable soil.

Pruning. Trim lightly as soon as flowering finishes, taking no more than a third of each stem. Like most fine leaved natives it will not reshoot reliably from bare wood, so a yearly light trim beats an occasional hard cut.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes as tube stock or in 140mm pots sold in packs of 10. Tubes are young and single stemmed, and they are the value option for a mass planting since small natives establish faster than advanced ones. The 140mm plants are bushier and may already be setting buds.

Plants travel well because the foliage is fine and wiry, though some flower drop in transit is normal. Expect a slow first month while roots move out, then steady growth. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare the wider range of Australian native shrubs.
• See other coastal and salt tolerant plants for exposed gardens.
• Browse low rockery plants that suit gritty, raised beds.
• Read about plants that thrive in poor soil.

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

One metre apart for a mass planting. Closer spacing traps humid air inside the canopy and invites stem rot, which is the main way this plant is lost.

Will it grow in clay?

Only on a well built raised mound. Thryptomene will sit in wet clay for a season and then collapse, so improve drainage properly before planting rather than hoping for the best.

When does it flower?

From late autumn through winter and into spring in most gardens, with the heaviest display in late winter. Flowering starts earlier in warm temperate districts and later in cool ones.