Saturday, October 9, 2010

Darwinia macrostegia, or Mondurup Bell - Plant of the Month

Darwinia macrostegia, or Mondurup Bell is originally from Western Australia and to grow these successfully away from the natural environment it is best to look for grafted forms. With very attractive flowers that last for nearly 3 months  Darwinia macrostegia, will eventually reach 1m by 2m in ideal conditions. Flowers begin to form in autumn and reach full size in spring. 
We grow ours in a large pot on a north facing verandah, lots of sun. The large pot provides a cool root run and after it finishes flowering we move ours to a cooler position. Try not to over water or over feed. 
Darwinia macrostegia can be pruned lightly after flowering to maintain shape if required. 
If you are growing these in the garden remember that drainage is important, Darwinia do not like wet feet, even the grafted forms. Also look for Darwinia squarrosa, Darwinia leiostyla, Darwinia citriodora and Darwinia grandiflora 
Find our more about Darwinia at Nurseries Online Australia