Hysterobaeckea behrii

Family: Myrtaceae
Distribution:  Mallee and heath from the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia to central Victoria.
Common Name: Silver Broombush
Conservation Status: Not considered to be at risk in the wild.
Derivation of Name: Hysterobaeckea; From Greek hysteros, after or later, and the genus Baeckea, possibly referring to the classification of the genus in relation to Baeckea.
behrii; After Hermann H. Behr, an entomologist and botanist of the 19th century.

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General Description:

Hysterobaeckea is a genus of 12 species, most of which were previously classified to the genus Baeckea.  It was raised to species status in 20151. Further information on the taxonomy of the genus Hysterobaeckea and related plants can be found in Geraldton Wax and its Relatives – Background.

Hysterobaeckea behrii (previously Baeckea behrii) is an erect, medium shrub to about 2.5 metres high and 1 metre wide. The narrow leaves are terete (rounded in cross-section) and about 5 to 8 mm long, usually closely appressed to the branches.  The white, or sometimes pink, tea tree-like flowers are about 8 – 10 mm in diameter and occur on short stalks from the leaf axils from spring to mid summer.

Silver Broombush is not widely grown in cultivation but it is particularly suited to dry climates.  It prefers a sunny location in reasonably well drained soils and withstands extended dry periods once established.

Seed germinates well without pretreatment but is difficult to collect as it is released from the small seed capsules when ripe. Cuttings of firm, current season’s growth strike readily.

  1. Rye, B.L. (2015), Recognition of Hysterobaeckea as a genus of Myrtaceae tribe Chamelaucieae. Nuytsia 25: 209-218

 

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Hysterobaeckea behrii
Photo: Murray Fagg – Australian National Botanic Gardens

 

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