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Correa alba

white correa

Rutaceae Coastal southeastern Australia

Attracts Pollinators Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 9–11

Overview

Correa alba is an evergreen shrub growing 3-6 feet (0.9-1.8 m) tall and spreading 3-8 feet (0.9-2.4 m) wide, with a dense, rounded, often low and wind-shaped form. The leaves are oval to rounded, 0.4-1.2 inches (1-3 cm) long, thick and grey-green above with a dense felt of white to rusty hairs beneath. White four-petalled flowers about 0.5-0.8 inch (12-20 mm) across, the petals spreading flat into a star, open from autumn through winter and into spring. The flowers are followed by small dry capsules. Unlike most correas, the flowers are open and flat rather than tubular. The shrub grows on coastal headlands and dunes and tolerates salt spray, wind, and sandy soils. It is grown in coastal and low-water gardens, where the grey foliage and spreading habit persist year-round.

Native Range

Native to coastal southeastern Australia, including New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia. Grows on headlands, dunes, and clifftops on sandy and rocky soils exposed to salt-laden wind.

Suggested Uses

Grown in coastal gardens, low hedges, and low-water plantings, spaced about 36-48 inches (90-120 cm) apart, and tolerates exposed seaside positions. Used to bind sandy banks and dunes. The grey foliage and salt tolerance suit windy coastal sites where many shrubs fail.

How to Identify

Recognized by thick oval to rounded grey-green leaves 0.4-1.2 inches (1-3 cm) long with white to rusty felted undersides, and by white four-petalled star-shaped flowers 0.5-0.8 inch (12-20 mm) across. The flat, open flowers separate it from tubular-flowered Correa reflexa and Correa spp. hybrids. The dense, salt-tolerant, mounded habit is typical of exposed coastal sites.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height3' - 6'

Width/Spread3' - 8'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~24 weeks

Fall Winter Spring

Flowers from autumn through winter and into spring, mainly March to September in its native range, with scattered flowers at other times. Flowering is heaviest in the cooler months. Individual flowers last one to two weeks.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

Grey-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 5-9 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 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand rocky loam

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

Reaches mature size in two to three years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun to part shade on free-draining sandy or rocky soil at a pH of about 5.5-7.5 and tolerates salt spray and coastal wind. Withstands extended dryness once established and needs little water beyond rainfall in coastal climates. Grows poorly in heavy, wet soils, where the roots rot. Tolerates light frost but is damaged by hard freezes. Few pests affect it. Light trimming brings on denser branching.

Pruning

Trim lightly after the main flowering to keep the shrub dense and rounded. Cutting back into older wood is tolerated and brings on fresh growth. Dead and wind-damaged branches can be removed at any time.