Styphelia ericoides

Pink Beard-heath

Slender erect wiry shrub with hairy branchlets.

SynonymLeucopogon ericoides
FamilyEricaceae
StoreyLower storey
Size0.3-2 m x 0.3-1 m
Plant groupingShrubs to 2m
LeavesPrickly convex oblong to elliptic dull green leaves 3-15 mm x 1-2.5 mm, variously hairless, rough or hairy above or below, parallel veined below, margins strongly curved under.
Flower colourWhite or pink, buds pink
Flowering timeAugust to October
FlowersShort erect spikes of 2-8 (usually 3) small, densely bearded flowers in upper leaf axils. Fruit a dryish single-seeded berry (drupe).
Bird attractingBerries
Butterfly attractingNo
Frog habitatNo
Growing conditionsWell drained soil in heathy woodlands, occasionally in moist forests. Semi shade.
Garden useDrift through trees as an understorey. Use in rockeries and cottage gardens.
Commercially availableSpecialist Australian plant nursery
Conservation statusSignificant within the Shire. Known from few local sites. More common outside the Shire boundary.
Aboriginal Use Food - drupes