SWAINSONA canescens

A prostrate or erect small perennial from 15-60 cm that produces long heads of purple-pink / purple & yellow & green flowers occurring from May to July or December in its native range.

Occurs naturally in the regions of Carnarvon, Coolgardie, Gascoyne, Geraldton Sandplains, Great Victoria Desert, Mallee, Murchison, Pilbaraaand Yalgoo in Western Australia.

Prefers light to medium well-drained soil in an open sunny position, drought and frost-resistant.

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 18-24°C

Swainsona seeds germinate readily, however, they do have a hard outer coating that is impervious to water. To assist in the uptake of moisture for germination, the seed is best scarified by pre-treating with hot water.

Hot water treatment is recommended for this species.

1. Place the seed in a container and pour in just-boiled water and allow to soak overnight.
2. Sow seed 3-4mm deep.
3. Cover the seed lightly with the seed-raising mix. Do not bury the seed too deeply.
4. Place in a warm shaded or semi-shaded position to avoid dying out.
5. Keep warm & moist, and avoid drying out or waterlogging the growing mix.
6. Germination should occur in 10-21 days @ 18-24°C

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.

Image by Mark Marathon CC BY-SA 4.0 Cropped and Resized