White correa

Sun

Full sun to light partial shade; flowers and grows most densely in sun.

Water

Water regularly during establishment, then deeply during prolonged dry spells. Let the soil partly dry between waterings; avoid constantly wet roots.

Soil

Well-drained sandy, gravelly or loamy soil, from slightly acidic to mildly alkaline. Improve drainage rather than adding rich compost to heavy clay.

Height

3-6 ft (0.9-1.8 m)

Spread

3-6 ft (0.9-1.8 m)

Flowers

Small white, occasionally pink-tinged, four-petalled flowers, mainly from autumn through spring, with scattered flowers possible at other times in mild climates.

Foliage

Evergreen. Small, rounded to oval, leathery grey-green leaves with pale, densely hairy undersides; young growth is softly hairy.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Low

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

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

Difficulty

Hard

Toughness

Needs looking after

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

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   2.2 ft (0.67 m)

3. After 2 years

   2.8 ft (0.84 m)

4. After 3 years

   3 ft (1 m)

5. After 5 years

   4 ft (1.4 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

Native to

Australia

Growth rate

Moderate

• Water through the first growing season, checking the root ball during dry weather.
• Keep roots out of standing water; use a raised bed or container where winter drainage is poor.
• Apply a light layer of mulch, keeping it clear of the stem bases.
• Feed sparingly in spring with a low-phosphorus fertiliser suitable for Australian native plants.
• In colder gardens, choose a sheltered position and protect young plants during severe frost.

Pruning. Lightly trim after the main flowering flush to keep the shrub dense, shortening leafy shoots rather than cutting into bare old wood. Remove dead or frost-damaged growth in spring once new growth shows what has survived.

Spring

Plant after severe frost risk has passed in cooler regions, and water thoroughly.

Spring

Remove frost-damaged growth and apply a light feed if growth is weak.

Late spring

Trim lightly after the main flowering flush to maintain a compact shape.

Summer

Check new plants during dry spells and water deeply when the root zone dries.

Late summer

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

Autumn

Plant in mild, frost-light climates while soil remains warm; check that winter rain can drain freely.

Winter

Protect young plants during hard freezes and keep container compost from remaining saturated.

• Plant as a low informal hedge along a sunny coastal boundary, trimming lightly to retain flowers.
• Combine with lomandra and westringia in Australian native borders for contrasting leaf shapes and year-round structure.
• Use in gravel gardens with lavender and rock roses where drainage is sharp and summer watering is limited.
• Grow in a large, freely draining container beside a sunny patio in regions where winter shelter may be needed.

Garden styles it suits: Coastal, Australian native, Low-maintenance, Dry gravel garden, Mediterranean and White garden.

Plant it with: Coastal rosemary, Lomandra, Kangaroo paw, English lavender and Rock rose.

Wildlife: Flowers provide nectar for visiting insects and, in Australia, nectar-feeding birds. Dense foliage offers shelter for small garden animals.

• Root rot in waterlogged soil: improve drainage or move to a raised bed; do not keep watering a declining plant while the soil is wet.
• Frost damage to shoots: shelter young plants and wait until spring growth begins before removing damaged stems.
• Sparse, open growth in deep shade: move to a brighter site and lightly trim leafy shoots after flowering.
• Scale insects: inspect stems and leaf undersides, remove small infestations by hand, and use a labelled horticultural oil if needed.

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

• Common correa (Correa reflexa)

  Usually has hanging tubular flowers, often red and green or entirely green; white correa has petals that spread apart into an open star.

• Salmon correa (Correa pulchella)

  Has tubular pink, salmon or orange flowers and generally smaller, narrower leaves; white correa has rounded grey-green leaves and open white flowers.

• Coastal rosemary (Westringia fruticosa)

  Has narrow leaves arranged in whorls and small two-lipped flowers; white correa has opposite, rounded leaves and four distinct spreading petals.

Correa honours the Portuguese botanist José Correia da Serra, and alba is Latin for white, referring to the flowers.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings in late summer, using a free-draining rooting mix and gentle humidity. Seed can be slow and unreliable to germinate; cuttings are the more practical home method.

Accepted botanical name

Correa alba

Native range

New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria.

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