Bauera spp.

river rose

Cunoniaceae Eastern and southern Australia

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Container Friendly

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

HardinessZones 8–10

Overview

Bauera spp. is a small genus of wiry, evergreen shrubs in the family Cunoniaceae, native to eastern and southern Australia. Plants form tangled, slender-stemmed shrubs 1-6 feet (0.3-1.8 m) tall, ranging from low, sprawling mounds to scrambling thickets that lean on surrounding vegetation. The small leaves are opposite and three-parted, but paired leaf-like stipules make them appear as whorls of six narrow leaflets 0.2-0.6 inch (5-15 mm) long along the thin stems. Solitary flowers, 0.4-1 inch (1-2.5 cm) across, have 5-10 spreading petals in white, pink, or rose and a central boss of stamens, borne on slender stalks in the leaf axils. Plants flower over a long period, mainly spring and summer, and may carry a few flowers at most times of year. Foliage is evergreen and small-leaved, and the wiry stems root where they touch moist ground. Growth is moderate, and plants can become straggly without occasional trimming.

Native Range

Native to eastern and southern Australia, including New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia. Plants grow in damp heath, swamp margins, wet forest, and along streams, usually on moist, acidic, sandy or peaty soils from near sea level to subalpine elevations.

Suggested Uses

Grown in bog gardens, pond and stream margins, and moist, acidic shrub borders, spaced 2-3 feet (0.6-0.9 m) apart. The wiry, scrambling habit suits informal and naturalistic plantings and can be trained on low supports. Plants need reliably moist, lime-free soil and decline in dry or alkaline ground.

How to Identify

Recognized as wiry, much-branched evergreen shrubs whose small opposite, three-parted leaves, framed by leaf-like stipules, look like whorls of six narrow leaflets. Five- to ten-petalled white to pink flowers sit singly on thin stalks in the leaf axils. B. rubioides is the species most often seen, scrambling through damp heath and along watercourses.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1' - 6'

Width/Spread2' - 5'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~12 weeks

Spring Summer

Flowering occurs over a long season, chiefly in spring and summer, with B. rubioides producing scattered flowers nearly year-round in mild, moist sites. Peak bloom lasts several weeks in spring. Individual flowers persist about a week before the petals drop.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

white, pink, or rose

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-8 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range4.5 - 6.5(Acidic)

357912

Soil Types

sand peat loam

Drainagemoist

Water & Climate

Water Needs

High

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

2-4 years

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Plants grow in part shade to full sun in constantly moist, acidic, well-drained soils and do not tolerate drying out or lime. Steady moisture at the roots suits them, matching their native streamside and bog-margin habitat. The hardier forms withstand about 20 F (-7 C) and tolerate cool, wet conditions that suit few shrubs. Light trimming after the main flush keeps plants from becoming straggly and bare at the base. Few pests are troublesome, though root rot follows poor drainage despite the plant's need for moisture. Plants are propagated from cuttings or layered stems that root in damp ground.

Pruning

Trim plants lightly after the main spring flush to keep them bushy and prevent open, straggly growth. Cutting back into older wood resprouts slowly, so renewal pruning is done gradually. Stems that root where they touch the ground can be separated to make new plants.

Pruning Schedule

late spring