OLEARIA rudis

An attractive eye catching native typically in the form of a rounded small shrub to 1.5 metres with tiny aromatic leaves.
Blue-mauve flowers 4 centimetres across occur in long leafy clusters that appear from mid-winter to late spring. Prune to maintain a compact habit.

Endemic to New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.

Adaptable to most soils and positions, drought and frost resistant.

Image by Geoff Lay CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0

Grow notes:

Although seed can be sown most of the year in many parts of Australia seed is generally best sown in spring or autumn in temperate climates, avoid the coldest and hottest months of the year. The optimum germination temperature for germination is around 15-20°C

1. Sow seed on surface of a porous seed raising mix. The seed will lodge in the 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.
6. Germination generally occurs in around 14-42 days in the right condition.

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.