Scrophulariaceae FAMILY

Eremophila alternifolia

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

Habit—

Growth—

Eremophila alternifolia is found mainly in arid and sub-arid regions of southern Australia. It is known to withstand at least moderate frost, and has been successfully cultivated in more humid temperate areas with mild winters and a well-drained soil^[1]. Prefers a position in full sun^[1]. Succeeds in a variety of soils so long as they are well-drained^[1]. The plant flowers mainly in the spring, but also sporadically through the year^[1].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. The seed can be difficult to germinate - exposing them to smoke prior to sowing can help, as can mechanically abrading some of the outer seedcoat to allow moisture to penetrate^[2]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Consider giving the plants some protection from the cold for their first few winters outdoors. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel, mid summer in a frame. They normally root within 3 - 4 weeks^[1]. Pot up in the autumn. Good percentage^[3]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Eremophila+alternifolia>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

[1]Australian Native Plants Society — http://anpsa.org.au/index.html ↩︎A series of fact sheets on Australian plants. Good photographs, brief description and information on uses, habitat, range, cultivation etc.
[2]Growing Native Plants — Australian National Botanic Gardens · http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/ ↩︎A series of articles giving details of cultivation and matters of general interest (including a few plant uses) on over 250 Australian plants.
[3]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
[4]Flora of New South Wales — http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/floraonline.htm ↩︎An on-line resource giving a brief botanical description of all the native plants of New South Wales, their habitat and range, together with diagrams and photographs of the plants.
[5]An Ethnopharmacological Study of Medicinal Plants of the Kamilaroi and Muruwari Aboriginal Communities in Northern N — Qian Liu · 2006 ↩︎In particular it looks at Ethnopharacological information on the genera Eremurus and Exocarpus. It can be downloaded from the Internet.