They thought there was only a handful of these Westringia, but after an exciting expedition that included rafting and rock climbing, the Department of Sustainability and Environment biodiversity officers have found over 500.
The Royal Botanic Gardens have taken cuttings, so lets hope one day it is released to the nursery industry. They appear to require little water and can take extreme heat. The plants also appear to stay compact and hence would be perfect in a home garden situation.
Could this be the next Woolemi ? Stay tuned home gardeners.
More info is available here at The Age website.
The following text comes from the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Snowy River Westringia (Westringia cremnophila)
A dwarf shrub that grows to 0.5m high, with branches densely covered with fine white hairs and white flowers with yellow-brown dots in the throat. This species grows on cliffs and in rock cavities in the gorge tract of the Snowy River east of Butchers Ridge.
Snowy River Westringia was discovered by the naturalist and native plant hybridist Leo Hodge on an expedition in 1950 in the Snowy River Gorges of East Gippsland. It is listed as Vulnerable under the Commonwealth Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999. The species is endemic to Victoria where it is known from only a few small populations.
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