Epacris pulchella (New South Wales Coral Heath)

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Epacris, Genus, pulchella, Species,

Genus & species

New South Wales coral heath

Ericaceae Eastern New South Wales, Australia

Attracts Pollinators Container Friendly

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 9–10

Overview

Epacris pulchella is a slender, upright heath shrub native to the sandstone country of New South Wales, growing 1-5 feet (0.3-1.5 m) tall on thin, wiry stems. The small, stiff, pointed leaves are crowded along the stems, dark green and heath-like, each about 0.2-0.4 inch (4-10 mm) long. From autumn into spring the upper stems become lined with many small, tubular white to pale pink flowers, each about 0.2-0.3 inch (5-7 mm) long, packed in dense, one-sided rows that give the shrub a coral-like look. The flowers are followed by small dry capsules. It grows in heath, woodland, and damp sandstone slopes on sandy, acidic soils that are low in nutrients but stay moist. The thin, upright stems can become bare and leggy at the base with age. It tolerates light frost and some dryness once established but is sensitive to rich soils and high-phosphorus fertilisers. Cool, humid conditions and steady moisture in free-draining soil suit it most.

Native Range

Native to eastern New South Wales, mainly on the sandstone ranges and coastal heaths around the Sydney region and northward. It grows in heath, open woodland, and on damp sandstone slopes on sandy, acidic soils.

Suggested Uses

Epacris pulchella is used in native, heath, and cottage-style gardens, in rockeries, and in containers, where its cool-season flowers suit sandy, acidic sites. It works in mixed heathland plantings with other small shrubs and supports nectar-feeding insects and birds. The flowering stems are sometimes cut for small posies.

How to Identify

Recognised by its slender upright stems crowded with small, stiff, pointed heath leaves and by dense rows of small tubular white to pink flowers along the upper stems in the cooler months. The short, gently curved flower tubes and one-sided arrangement are typical of Epacris. Its smaller flowers separate it from the larger-flowered Epacris longiflora, which has red-and-white tubes.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1' - 5'

Width/Spread1' - 3'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~16 weeks

Flowers: March–September

Fall Winter Spring

Flowering runs from autumn through winter into spring, heaviest in autumn and winter, when the upper stems fill with small tubular white to pink flowers. The flowers open in long, crowded rows and hold for many weeks in cool weather. Small dry capsules follow as the flowers fade.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

White to pale pink

Foliage Description

Dark 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 Range4.5 - 6.0 (Acidic to neutral)

3579

Soil Types

sand peat

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Epacris pulchella grows in full sun to part shade in sandy or peaty, acidic soils that drain freely yet stay moist, in keeping with its heathland origins. It tolerates neither drying out nor waterlogging, so a cool root run with steady moisture suits it. Like other heath plants it is sensitive to high-phosphorus fertilisers, so only low-phosphorus native feeds or none are used. A light trim after flowering slows the stems becoming bare and leggy. It can be raised from cuttings, as seed is slow and unreliable. Mulch and cool, humid conditions help keep the shallow roots moist.

Pruning

A light trim after flowering keeps the stems bushy and slows the shrub becoming bare at the base. Only soft, leafy growth is cut, as the shrub may not reshoot from old bare wood. Spent flowering stems can be tip-pruned as the flowers fade.