Re: Eriostemon buxifolius - Wax bush

In a message dated 18/01/00 12:33:59 GMT Standard Time, 
dave-poole@ilsham.demon.co.uk writes:

<< I don't know whether the folks in Australia or NZ can help with this.
 I received a nice plant of Eriostemon from Tasmania a little while ago
 and although it is currently quite a youngster at barely 30 cms. high
 and across, has wintered out of doors in a pot extremely well and is
 now showing the first flower buds.  I presume it needs a slightly
 acid, well drained sunny spot, but cannot seem to find out roughly how
 big it will grow.  Info from various sources suggest either a low
 mound 1 metre high and twice as much across, whereas others suggest it
 is more like 1.8 metres high by 1.5 metres across.  Naturally the
 ultimate size determines where I'm going to plant it so if anyone out
 there is growing this little beauty, I'd be grateful for any info they
 would like to share.
 
 Dave Poole >>

    Well, Dave, here's one of the folks in North Wales with some info for 
you. I looked this plant up in Ross & Irons' Australian Plants, - nothing. So 
I rang Jeff Irons, one of the authors, who has supplied me with the following:
    To start with, it's had it's name changed, and is now Philotheca 
buxifolia. This was set out in 'Nuytsia', the journal of the Western 
Australia Herbarium, in Feb '98. It has 2 subspecies, buxifolia and obovata, 
the latter having smaller leaves than the former. It grows in N.S.W. on 
sandstone, near the coast, at an altitude of about 1,000', from Sydney  south 
to Jarvis Bay. 
    It is variable in size, and can be anything from 0.6 to 1.5 metres in 
height, and 0.8 to 2 metres across. But, Jeff says that Australian plants are 
rarely the same size in the U.K. as they are at home. They are usually either 
much smaller, or much bigger! Which as far as I can see doesn't really help 
you in deciding where to plant it. On the other hand, Jeff's a great believer 
in the regular pruning of shrubs, because that is what they get in the wild. 
    He says it needs full sun, a well-drained spot, and plenty of water 
during the summer. And ideally a PH of about 5 - he thinks your soil should 
about right in that respect.   

    Hoping that this is of some use to you.

    Einion Hughes, Rhyl,
    Denbighshire, North Wales
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