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[2nd Image]
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| Category: Shrub |
| Family: Myoporaceae (Now Scrophulariaceae) |
| Origin: Australia (Australasia) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Orange Red |
| Bloomtime: Year-round |
| Height: 3-4 feet |
| Width: 3-4 feet |
| Exposure: Sun or Shade |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 20-25° F |
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Eremophila decipiens (Slender Fuchsia Bush) - A low sprawling shrub to 3 to 4 feet tall by as wide with interlacing square stems bearing narrow 1 1/2 inch long slightly wavy lance-shaped leaves that are serrulate near the tips. Over a long period from late summer through late spring (nearly year-round) appear the reddish orange nearly tubular 1 inch long flowers held on a long thin S-shaped (sigmoidally curved) pedicel. The flowers have a lower lip recurved under and 4 petal lips recurved upwards with stamens well exerted beyond. Plant in full sun to light shade in a well-drained soil and requiring little to no irrigation once established. Cold hardy to around 25° F. Responds well to pruning. This is a showy long flowering and reliable shrub that requires little care and is a great addition to a perennial or dry garden and also useful in containers. Unlike many other Eremophila that are insect pollinated, this species is pollinated by birds and is quite attractive to Hummingbirds. This is a selected form of Eremophila decipiens ssp. decipiens, a taxon that grows naturally over and extensive area from the south-west of Western Australia east to southern parts of South Australia on the Eyre Peninsula. The name for the genus comes from the Greek word 'erêmos' meaning "lonely" or "desert" and 'phílos' meaning "dear" "beloved" in reference to the plants in the genus growing in arid climate locations. The specific epithet is a Latin word meaning "deceiving" or "false" in reference to the similarity of this species to Eremophila glabra, which differs in not having the "s-shaped" pedicel. Another common name for this plant is narrow-leaved fuchsia bush. We first received this plant in 2017 from Kathy Echols at Midhill Farms.
This information about Eremophila decipiens displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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