A compact, native Australian shrub with evergreen, fern-like foliage and masses of rice-like, crimson, pink buds followed by creamy pink flowers throughout Winter and Spring.
Ozothamnus 'Royal Flush' is a select variety within the new wave of Australian rice flowers. Easy to grow and needing little supplementary water once established. Ozothamnus offer masses of colourful texture through Winter and Spring and an attractive, evergreen shrub with fine foliage in Summer and Autumn. 'Royal Flush' bursts with large clusters of tiny, crimson, pink buds that hold a rosy glow for weeks on end until the creamy pink flowers open.
Easy to grow in most well-draining soils, these special selections of Ozothamnus are versatile native Australian plants colouring wintery gardens with bud and bloom. In sunny gardens they flower fully in the first season, and grow into a shapely, two-metre shrub which is perfect as a feature plant, informal edging, or shaping into low hedges.
Australian rice flowers make wonderful, dried flower arrangements and are firm favourites of the floral industry. Cut stems just before the flowers open, when the buds are as full as they can be. Place the stems in jar or vase. Do not add water, but only place in a cool, dark place until dry. The buds hold their colour and upright form when dried correctly. Stems that bend or wilt indicate that it was cut too early before the buds were full.
Ozothamnus are best grown under full sun in light, well-drained soil. In heavier garden soils, plant on a mound. Mulch away from the stem to conserve moisture while the plant settles in. Staking to support the stem may be necessary in the early days. Once established, regular watering is not needed.
Lightly tip prune the growing shrub to encourage branching. Each Summer, when flowering has finished, Ozothamnus needs to be heavily pruned and fed a quality, slow-release, native fertiliser. Never prune after March as this removes all the slowly developing flower buds. If April arrives, buds are forming and pruning wasn't done, it's better to apply native, slow-release fertiliser, allow blooming, and prune in the coming Summer.
Australian Rice Flowers are native to Eastern Australia from North Queensland as far south as the Geelong area in Victoria. Esther and Graeme Cook at Helidon in Queensland have been selecting and breeding from wild plants for many years and have produced a wide range of plants for the cut flower trade as well as these selected for garden performance.
Wear gloves & wash hands after gardening.
