EREMOPHILA maculata 100g

A medium-sized shrub that has tall slender stems with spreading branches and an open textured crown. Light green soft oval leaves 2.5 cm long.
Tubular pink, red, or yellow 5 petalled flowers occur profusely on long, thin stalks in winter.

Endemic to inland Australia.

Prefers a medium to heavy soil in an open sunny position, drought and frost resistant.

Grow notes:

Propagation from the seed of Eremophila species is can be tricky as the seed is small and contained in a woody fruit. One method is to carefully split the fruits into half's and then quarters to exact the seed.

The following method of extracting seeds has been reported as being effective:

1. Place the dried fruits in a small engineer's vice (one with the metal jaws) such that either end of the nut is pressed against the jaws (use forceps to align the fruit, if necessary).
2. Tighten the vice until the nut cracks - usually, the seeds will drop out intact.

Seed can then be sown by normal seed raising methods. The optimum germinating temperature is around 18-22°C

1. Sow seed on surface of a porous seed raising mix. The seed will lodge in the pores of the mix once watered.
2. Sprinkle a very light covering of the seed raising mix over the seed if required to hold the seed in place. Do not bury seed deeply.
3. Water with fine mist spray to avoid disturbance of the seed.
4. Place in a warm shaded or semi-shaded position to avoid dying out.
5. Keep warm & moist, avoid drying out or waterlogging the growing mix.

Germination time can vary from 21 days to several months.

General note: Seeds of many natives are dormant and require specific conditions or pre-treatment for germination.
Do not be too hasty to discard seed that does not germinate, seeds will often lay dormant until the conditions are similar to their natural requirements for germination to occur. Containers put to one side will often surprise long after they were discarded.