Adenanthos x cunninghamii (Albany Woollybush) - A sprawling, densely-branched mounding shrub from Western Australia that can grow to 3 to 6 feet tall and spread 4 to 7 feet wide. The soft, silvery, blue-green flattened foliage is dissected into 6 to 8 segments with a nice flush of pink toward the tips. Dark red tubular flowers appear spring through fall but are mostly hidden within the foliage.
Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil. Drought tolerant once established. Tolerates medium frost and temperatures to 20-25 degrees F. A nice low plant for a rock garden or the mixed mediterranean climate garden - a very useful plant in beachside conditions.
Adenanthos x cunninghamii is a naturally occurring hybrid between A. sericeus subsp. sericeus and A. cuneatus that is found in very small numbers in the Albany area of Western Australia, and is a protected plant. The name Adenanthos comes from the Greek 'aden' meaning "a gland" and 'anthos' meaning "a flower" and is in reference to the flowers' prominent nectaries. The specific epithet he honors the English botanist Allan Cunningham who was known for botanical expeditions and plant collection in eastern Australia in the early 19th century.
We have grown this plant since 1993 but much of this time incorrectly labeled it as Adenanthos drummondii as this was the name this plant originally came labeled as such from University of Santa Cruz Arboretum and noted it a name synonymous with Adenanthos x cunninghamii. We changed our listing to Adenanthos x cunninghamii in 2005 on the advice of Dr. Charles Nelson, author of the section on Adenanthos (Proteaceae) in the Flora of Australia (16: 314-342), who noted that Adenanthos drummondii and Adenanthos x cunninghamii were different taxa and the name Adenanthos drummondii misapplied to this taxon.
The information about Adenanthos x cunninghamii displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include 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 we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant. |