Riceflower Ozothamnus diosmifolius Or Riceflower is a native to NSW and QLD. It is not uncommon to see the wild form of this interesting shrub growing in the wild all around the NSW Coast. Ozothamnus has very aromatic leaves, which is often compared to the smell of Curry, of course this is completely a matter of opinion. Something i find appealing about Ozothamnus is that it self cleans. Once the flower heads are spent, a light shake on the branches will drop off spent blooms allowing new ones to grow.
Description An Evergreen Shrub to a height of 2m. Foliage is linear and quite fine, colour ranges from lime green when young to dark green when mature. At the tip of each branch there are dense clumps of small, spherical flowers ranging from white to shades of pink. Most varieties flower in Spring and Summer, however some cultivars such as 'Radiance' flower all year round.
Care Plant in a full sun or part shade position, well drained soil is an essential. Shake the tree when flowers are looking tired, spent flowers should come away quite easily. A light prune once or twice a year is sufficient to keep your plant looking tidy. Feed with a slow release Native feriliser in Autumn, a liquid native fertiliser can be applied every few weeks through out the warmer months.
Uses Ozothamnus are very hardy, so can be used in a wide range of landscape applications. Single specimens planted in pots also look fantastic.Varieties like 'Radiance' have very dense, structural foliage and resemble the shape of a conifer. Why not dress one up as a Christmas tree for something different this year?
Varieties to look out for:
*Ozothamnus "Radiance" (pictured) - Dark Green foliage, White flowers. Buds appear pink in the winter. Flowering all year round.
*Ozothamnus "Winter White" - large heads of small pure white flowers all over the plant.
*Ozothamnus "Coral Flush" - Flowering from late winter and on through spring with large heads of small coral pink flowers in clusters.
*Ozothamnus "Just Blush" - Flowering from late winter and on through spring with heads of upright small flowers in tones of mauve pink. Buds are almost into the purple shades before they open.
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