Correa Dusky Bells

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; light afternoon shade is helpful in hot inland gardens. Flowering is reduced in deep shade.

Water

Water regularly during establishment, then deeply during extended dry spells. Allow the soil surface to dry between waterings; avoid persistently wet roots.

Soil

Well-drained sandy or loamy soil, preferably slightly acidic to neutral. Improve drainage or use a raised bed on heavy clay.

Height

2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m)

Spread

3-5 ft (0.9-1.5 m)

Flowers

Dusky pink, hanging tubular bells, mainly autumn through spring, with occasional flowers at other times in mild climates.

Foliage

Evergreen. Small, opposite, oval green leaves with softly hairy surfaces and paler undersides.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.8 ft (0.55 m)

3. After 2 years

   2 ft (0.6 m)

4. After 3 years

   2.1 ft (0.65 m)

5. After 5 years

   2.5 ft (0.75 m)

   full size

About 5 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Moderate

• Water through the first growing season whenever the root zone begins to dry.
• Apply a light mulch, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Feed lightly in spring with a low-phosphorus fertiliser suitable for Australian native shrubs; avoid heavy feeding.
• Use a container with drainage holes and a freely draining potting mix.
• Protect from cold, drying winds; move container plants into a bright, frost-free position where winters are colder than its outdoor range.

Pruning. Lightly trim after the main flowering flush to maintain a dense, rounded shape. Remove dead or damaged shoots, but avoid cutting the whole shrub hard into old, leafless wood.

Spring

Plant after damaging frosts have passed in cooler regions, and water thoroughly.

Late spring

Lightly trim after the main flowering flush and feed sparingly if growth is weak.

Summer

Check young plants and containers during dry weather; water deeply rather than giving frequent small splashes.

Late summer

Take semi-ripe cuttings from healthy, non-flowering shoots.

Autumn

Plant in mild-winter areas while the soil is warm, and check that winter rain can drain away.

Winter

Protect from severe frost and keep sheltered container plants only lightly moist.

• Use as a low, informal edging shrub along paths, allowing room for its spreading branches.
• Plant beneath open-canopied trees where filtered light reaches the foliage.
• Combine with compact westringias and lomandras for contrasting leaf shapes in an Australian native border.
• Grow in a sheltered courtyard container where the hanging flowers can be seen closely.
• Mass on a well-drained bank for evergreen cover and cool-season flowers.

Garden styles it suits: Australian native, Coastal, Modern courtyard, Low-maintenance, Wildlife garden and Winter interest.

Plant it with: Coastal rosemary, Lomandra, Dianella, Kangaroo paw and Waxflower.

Wildlife: The nectar-rich flowers attract honeyeaters in Australia and may attract hummingbirds where grown in North America. The dense foliage provides shelter for small garden wildlife.

• Root rot in wet soil: improve drainage, reduce watering and avoid sites that remain saturated in winter.
• Frost damage: choose a sheltered position, cover during brief cold spells and wait until spring to remove damaged growth.
• Scale insects: inspect stems and leaf undersides; remove small infestations by hand or apply horticultural oil according to the label.
• Sparse growth and few flowers in deep shade: move to brighter filtered light or a position with several hours of sun.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people. Cultivar-specific safety information is limited, and no part should be treated as edible.

• Common correa (Correa reflexa)

  Highly variable, but many forms have longer red-and-green or green bells and a more upright habit; 'Dusky Bells' is typically low and spreading with dusky pink flowers.

• Salmon correa (Correa pulchella)

  Often has smaller, smoother leaves and brighter salmon-pink or orange flowers. Forms overlap in appearance, so a reliable nursery label may be needed.

Correa honours the Portuguese botanist José Correia da Serra, while 'Dusky Bells' describes the muted pink, bell-shaped flowers.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings in late summer or early autumn and root in a free-draining propagation mix under humid conditions. Use cuttings to retain the cultivar; seedlings will not reliably come true.

Accepted botanical name

Correa

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.