Description:

Foliage is very ornamental, held on multiple stems that are deep red; yellow flowers from late winter into spring, are followed by attractive, bell shaped pods; perfect for massing along borders, or in containers

Ornamental Features

Bell-fruited Mallee features showy yellow pincushion flowers with black eyes along the branches from late winter to late spring. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has attractive bluish-green evergreen foliage. The fragrant oval leaves are highly ornamental and remain bluish-green throughout the winter. The smooth gray bark and brick red branches are extremely showy and add significant winter interest.

Landscape Attributes

Bell-fruited Mallee is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Bell-fruited Mallee is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Bell-fruited Mallee will grow to be about 6 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 6 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is particular about its soil conditions, with a strong preference for sandy, acidic soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is not originally from North America.

Bell-fruited Mallee makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.