Communities

Scientific Name

Leucopogon australis

Family Name

EPACRIDACEAE

Common Name

Spike Beard-heath

Status

Height

1.0m (100cm)

Flowers

White, with a strong sweet scent in solitary spikes crowded at the ends of branches .

Fruit

Berries or drupes

Form

Shrub with erect non-hairy branches.

Municipalities

Break O'Day; Burnie; Central Coast; Central Highlands; Circular Head; Clarence; Devonport; Dorset; Flinders Island; Georgetown; Glamorgan-Spring Bay; Huon Valley; Kentish; King Island; Kingborough; Latrobe; Launceston; Tasman; Waratah-Wynyard; West Coast; West Tamar

Communities

Coastal Vegetation; Heath

Habitat Notes

Local in sandy coastal heaths in the east and north.

Site Tolerance

Dry; Exposed

Frost Tolerance

Soil Tolerance

Loam; Phosphorous intolerant; Poor; Sandy; Well-drained

General Notes

Keep seed trays in partial shade. Most species require a well-drained, well-composted soil with cool root run which can be provided by large flat stones or a thick mulch. Further experimental work is necessary. Suitable below powerlines.

Propagation Details

Propagation Calendar

Flowering Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Seed Collecting Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Sowing Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Cutting Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Seed Information

Seed Collection

Fruit, a spherical drupe, somewhat flattened, fleshy and amber-yellow in colour

Seed Treatment Method

Storage

Seed Storage Life

Viable Seeds Per Gram

Seed Treatment Notes

Storage of seed in a dark place for 3-6 months may help germination. Sow in media inoculated with soil from around parent plant. Some growers have had success with bird-ingested seed which provided very good results Stratification may reduce germination time. *(see general notes)

Germination Time

3-18 months

Suitable for Direct Seeding

Cuttings

Expected Time to Take Root

Expected Time to Plant Out

Propagation by Division N.B. Transplant only from nearby to avoid disease.

Cutting Notes

Usually grown from cuttings but the percentage strike is usually low.