Pultenaea tuberculata
wreath bush-pea
Overview
Pultenaea tuberculata is a small evergreen shrub in the family Fabaceae, growing 12-39 inches (30-100 cm) tall with a spreading to low-domed habit 16-47 inches (40-120 cm) wide. The wiry stems carry crowded, small, rigid leaves 0.16-0.4 inch (4-10 mm) long, often with a roughened or warty upper surface and a short point at the tip. In spring the shrub flowers along the upper stems with clustered pea flowers 0.3-0.5 inch (8-12 mm) wide, yellow to orange with red or brownish markings on the back of the standard petal. Small hairy pods follow and ripen over summer, splitting to shed seed. Pultenaea tuberculata grows in heath and dry open forest on sandy or gravelly, low-nutrient soils and tolerates seasonal dryness once established. It is sensitive to rich, wet, or poorly drained ground, where it is short-lived. As a legume it fixes nitrogen and contributes to soil cover in low-fertility sites. The massed spring flowering forms a band of warm colour over the low foliage.
Native Range
Pultenaea tuberculata is native to south-eastern Australia, occurring in New South Wales and Victoria. It grows in heathland and dry sclerophyll forest on sandy or gravelly, low-nutrient soils.Suggested Uses
Used in heath gardens, low-water native borders, and rockeries on free-draining soils. The low, spreading habit suits massed planting for spring colour and supports native bees and other pollinators.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1' - 3'3"
Width/Spread1'4" - 3'11"
Bloom Information
Flowering occurs mainly in spring, around September to November in its native range. The pea flowers open yellow to orange with red or brown markings and are clustered toward the stem tips. Hairy pods ripen through early summer and release seed as they dry.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
Yellow to orange with red markingsFoliage Description
GreenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
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
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grow Pultenaea tuberculata in full sun to light shade on sandy, gravelly, free-draining soil. It is adapted to low-nutrient ground and establishes most reliably where drainage is sharp and water does not sit around the roots. Water lightly during establishment, then reduce watering, as the shrub is prone to root rot in wet or heavy soils. It tolerates frost and dry spells once settled. As a nitrogen-fixing legume it needs little feeding; apply low-phosphorus native fertiliser sparingly, if at all. Growth is moderate and plants are relatively short-lived, renewing in the garden from self-sown seedlings.Pruning
Light tip pruning after flowering keeps the shrub compact and encourages branching. Spent flowering stems can be shortened to tidy the plant and limit legginess. Hard pruning into old bare wood is poorly tolerated and rarely resprouts.Pruning Schedule
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
late spring
Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 3 gallons