Description
Ozthamnus –
There are about 50 species of mostly evergreen shrubs and woody based perennials, with a few being herbs, in this genus. They occur in New Zealand, Australia, and New Caledonia in rocky places and on heath land form the coast to the mountains. They are grown for their often aromatic, even quite resinous and sticky in some species, small, scale like, alternate leaves, and for their solitary or corymb like flowers, displaying daisy like, white, yellow, dark pink flowers. Grow larger species in a shrub border, smaller species are good in a trough, or rock garden.
Grow in moderately fertile, well drained, neutral to acidic soil in a sheltered site in full sun. Protect from excessive winter moisture.
O. ledifolius – Helichrysum ledifolium – Kerosene Bush – This compact, rounded shrub from the Mountains of Tasmania and Australia grows 3-5′ feet tall and wide. It produces sticky, yellow green shoots densely covered with oblong-linear, blunt tipped, aromatic, dark green leaves, to 3/4″ long, yellow-downy beneath, the edges strongly curved under. In early summer it bears white flowers, 1/4″ across, red in bud, held in dense terminal corymbs, to 2″ across. Prune after flowering.
Zones 8-9
