Yellow Bush Pea

Yellow Bush Pea (Goodia lotifolia) is a fast-growing native shrub with smooth blue-green foliage that bursts into sunny yellow pea flowers every spring. It grows up to 3m tall and 3m wide in a loose, slightly rambling shape, which makes it a natural informal screen or a plant for a wildlife garden. Once established it tolerates both frost and dry spells.

Why you'll love it

• Fast growing. It makes a loose screen far quicker than most natives, so a new boundary or bare fence line starts to soften within a few seasons.
• A spring burst of yellow. Sunny yellow pea-shaped flowers cover the branches, set against smooth, rounded blue-green leaves.
• Food for native birds. The flowers attract native birds, which makes it a good choice for a wildlife garden.
• Evergreen all year. The blue-green foliage stays on the plant through the year, so the screen works in winter too.
• Tough once established. Frost and drought are no problem after the first year, so it asks little of the gardener.

Where it works best

Informal screens and hedges. Plant 2m apart in a single row. The loose, rambling shrubs lean into each other and make a soft, flowering screen up to 3m high. It is not a plant for a clipped formal hedge.

Wildlife gardens. Pair it with other native shrubs and grasses so that birds have nectar in spring and shelter the rest of the year.

Backdrop planting. Use it behind lower natives such as grevilleas, where its blue-green leaves provide a calm background to brighter flowers.

Growing Yellow Bush Pea in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to light shade. It tolerates frost and drought once established, so it suits cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens across southern and eastern Australia.

Soil. Free-draining soil. Add some well composted manure at planting, and follow up each year with a slow release native fertiliser.

Water and feed. Keep watering regularly until the plant is established, usually around 12 weeks. After extremely hot or dry spells, a liquid fertiliser boosts recovery.

Pruning. Trim lightly after flowering. This encourages compact growth and a fresh flush of flowers next spring. It can attract scale when stressed, and a natural treatment such as neem oil deals with it.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Yellow Bush Pea as tube stock, a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly. It arrives as a small plant, but being fast growing it picks up pace once it is in the ground. Mulch it, water it in and plant it where it has the full 3m to spread.

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 on the page 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
• Screening plants from 2m to 4m
• Plants that attract birds
• Native plants with yellow flowers

Common questions

How fast does it grow?

Quickly. It is a fast growing shrub that can reach up to 3m tall and wide, so allow space and expect to trim it after flowering.

Can I use it as a hedge?

As a loose, informal hedge, yes. Its habit is slightly rambling, so it will not give a formal, clipped line like a box or lilly pilly.

When does it flower?

In spring, with sunny yellow pea flowers along the branches. A light trim straight after flowering encourages a fresh flush the following year.