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Epacris microphylla

coral heath

Ericaceae Eastern Australia

Attracts Pollinators Container Friendly

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 8–10

Overview

Epacris microphylla is a slender, upright heath shrub 12-40 inches (30-100 cm) tall, with thin wiry stems and crowded, tiny leaves. The leaves are 0.08-0.2 inch (2-5 mm) long, stiff, heart-shaped, and overlapping closely along the stems. Small white, occasionally pink-tinged, star-shaped flowers about 0.2 inch (4-6 mm) across line the upper stems densely from autumn through spring, each with five spreading lobes. The narrow flowering branches give the shrub a slender, twiggy outline. Growth is slow, and plants are 18-30 inches (45-75 cm) across at maturity. It grows in damp, sandy, peaty soils of low fertility and is short-lived in cultivation, declining in rich, dry, or limey soils.

Native Range

Native to eastern Australia, from Tasmania and Victoria through New South Wales to Queensland. Grows in heathland, on swamp margins, and in damp sandstone country on moist, sandy or peaty soils low in nutrients.

Suggested Uses

Grown in heath and native gardens, rockeries, and containers of free-draining acidic mix, spaced 12-18 inches (30-45 cm) apart. Suits damp, low-nutrient sites alongside other heath plants. Also grown as a cut flower for its sprays of small white blooms.

How to Identify

Recognised by wiry upright stems crowded with tiny, stiff, heart-shaped overlapping leaves and dense rows of small white star flowers along the upper stems. The minute leaves and white flower spikes separate it from Epacris impressa, which has larger tubular pink to red flowers. Plants stand 12-40 inches (30-100 cm) tall with a narrow outline.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1' - 3'4"

Width/Spread1'6" - 2'6"

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~20 weeks

Fall Winter Spring

Flowers from autumn through spring, mainly April to October, with the heaviest display in winter. Flowers line the upper stems in dense rows that last several weeks. Bloom is sparser in shaded or dry positions.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-9 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 Range4.5 - 6.0(Acidic)

357912

Soil Types

sand peat

Drainagemoist

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

2-3 years

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun to light shade in moist, sandy or peaty soil of low fertility with reliable drainage. Maintain an evenly moist root zone, as the shallow roots dry out quickly, but standing water causes rot. Phosphorus-rich fertilisers damage the roots, as with many plants from nutrient-poor soils. Frost-hardy to about 23°F (-5°C). It is short-lived, often persisting four to six years, and is renewed from cuttings or seed. Root rot in poorly drained or limey soil is the main cause of plant loss.

Pruning

Light tip-pruning after flowering keeps the shrub bushy and prevents bare, woody stems. Spent flowering stems are trimmed to shape the plant in spring. Hard pruning into old wood is poorly tolerated and is generally left undone.

Pruning Schedule

spring