Nick Swanson, no rights reserved (CC0) · iNaturalist

Brunoniella spp.

blue trumpet

Acanthaceae Australia and Papua New Guinea

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 9–11

Overview

Brunoniella spp. is a genus of about five to seven low perennial herbs in the family Acanthaceae, native to Australia and Papua New Guinea. The plants are small and ground-hugging, 2 to 12 inches (5 to 30 cm) tall, arising from a persistent woody rootstock that allows them to resprout after fire, drought, or grazing. The opposite leaves are simple, oval to narrow, and 0.4 to 2 inches (1 to 5 cm) long. The flowers are funnel- to trumpet-shaped, 0.4 to 1 inch (10 to 25 mm) across, and blue to mauve, opening for a single day from the leaf axils. Flowering extends through spring and summer, often peaking after rain. Brunoniella spp. grows in open eucalypt woodland, grassland, and disturbed verges on a range of light to medium soils, and tolerates seasonal dryness through its underground rootstock. The most widespread species, B. australis, the blue trumpet, is common across eastern Australia. Individual flowers are short-lived, though the plant produces them in succession over a long season.

Native Range

Brunoniella spp. is native to Australia and Papua New Guinea, with most species in eastern and northern Australia. It grows in open woodland, grassland, and roadside verges from the coast to drier inland areas.

Suggested Uses

Grown as a low groundcover in native and water-wise gardens, along path edges, and in containers and rockeries. It knits into a sparse mat that tolerates light foot traffic and recovers from cutting. Spacing of 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) helps plants join into cover.

How to Identify

Identify Brunoniella spp. by its low, mat-like growth, opposite simple leaves, and funnel-shaped blue to mauve flowers borne low among the foliage and lasting a single day. The trumpet-shaped flowers arise from a woody underground rootstock that resprouts after disturbance. Its ground-hugging habit and one-day blue flowers separate it from taller, longer-flowered relatives in the family.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height2" - 1'

Width/Spread6" - 1'4"

Reaches mature size in approximately 1 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~12 weeks

Spring Summer

Flowering runs through spring and summer, roughly September to January in the Southern Hemisphere, with flushes triggered by rain. Each blue to mauve flower opens for only one day, but new flowers follow over many weeks. The long succession gives an extended, if sparse, display.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

blue to mauve

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 Range5.5 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam sand clay

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

1-2 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Brunoniella spp. grows in full sun to part shade on light to medium, well-drained soils with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. Established plants tolerate seasonal dryness, drawing on a woody rootstock that also lets them recover after cutting or fire. Wet, poorly drained soils are the main weakness. Little feeding is needed, and a low-phosphorus native fertiliser is used if any is applied. Plants spread slowly to form a low patch and can be raised from seed or division.

Pruning

Cut or mow plants back after flowering to tidy growth and encourage fresh shoots from the rootstock. Spent flowers drop on their own and need no removal. Plants tolerate hard cutting because they reshoot from below ground.