LAMIACEAE (LABIATAE)

Christmas-bush, Mint Tree

 

2.0m - 6.0m (200-600cm) 

Prolific white or pale lilac spotted with deep purple. 

Nuts, 4 together in "icecream cone" 

Upright small tree with a bushy spreading crown when open grown. 

 

Rainforest; Riparian; Wet Eucalypt Forest 

Needs protection from strong winds. Margins of streams to sea level, abundant on mountain slopes in openings in wet forest. 

Moist; Shady 

Hardy 

Fertile; Loam; Well-drained 

Fast growing. The flowers are a food source for native wasps and bees. Useful as a screen plant if protected from strong winds. Prostantheras require full sun and excellent drainage. Even in ideal conditions they are not long-lived. To overcome the problem, the Australian National Botanic Gardens began, in the 1970s, to graft Prostanthera on to Westringia fruticosa rootstock. If grafting is not done, Prostanthera generally needs to be repropagated regularly. Not suitable below powerlines. 

Capsules split into four segments each with own seed at maturity. seed is slightly flattened, brown or grey and up to 2mm long. can be collected close to maturity and dried in a warm spot until seed is released 

 

 

 

Use fresh seed but still difficult. Seed turns from green to grey when ripe. It seems that in heavy seed crop years, low viability may result. 

3-8 months 

 

4-8 weeks 

4 -6 months 

 

May be grown from cuttings which may be slow to strike. Do not use mist as the cuttings may rot. Take short laterals with heels. Material is usually suitable for cuttings from February to July. Cuttings more likely to be successful from young plants.