Cultivating correa

Judy shares her advice for growing these exquisite winter-flowering shrubs

Correa are not the hardiest, but I believe you can grow them in colder areas because it’s not necessarily the cold that’s the problem. Unless they’re tropical, Australian plants don’t die of cold unless it’s really cold. The main thing is that they need extremely good drainage.

When I plant, I backfill the planting hole with a mixture of grit and compost and because I’m on clay sometimes I mound the plants up. In pots, always use a free-draining compost.

Many are forest species and they benefit from dappled shade. In mild areas, if you grow them with the natural overhead protection of shrubs or trees, you shouldn’t have to protect them in winter. Keep them out of the wind, especially if your garden gets cold easterly or north-easterly winds.

Most correa reach between one and two metres tall, but can be pruned to shape. Pruning also encourages flowers. Trim after blooming – they don’t need too much reverence.

I give my correa an organic seaweed feed, which they seem to respond well to. that are pink at the top and yellowish green at the bottom. “It’s one of the most dependable ones and it’s really floriferous,” she explains.

Also worth seeking out is Correa ‘Pink Mist’: “It’s one of my favourites and reasonably easy to grow, with the most gorgeous pink flowers,” Judy says. Another favourite is C. glabra var. turnbullii (often sold as C. schlectendallii). “It has really glossy leaves and beautiful red and yellow blooms.” Other correa in her collection are trickier and are grown in pots so they can be moved under glass if the weather takes a turn for the worse. This is a good way to grow these shrubs if you garden in a colder part of the country, but can’t resist their southern hemisphere charm.