Prostantheras
Prostanthera ovalifolia
We have planted 39 species and cultivars of Prostanthera, 170 plants altogether, of which 74, or 44%, remain in the garden. We now grow 25 different species and cultivars of Prostanthera in the garden in July 2024. These are very desirable plants for the garden with their aromatic foliage and masses of flowers. They do require regular watering in the summer and are very susceptible to wilting.
Prostanthera askania – Tranquility Mint Bush
We planted this open understorey shrub, 1.5m high x 2m wide with strongly aromatic leaves and masses of purple flowers in March 2023. This plant is frost and drought hardy and native to a restricted area near Gosford, NSW.
Prostanthera aspalathoides (photo below left)
We have planted 20 Prostanthera aspalathoides during the ten year period from 2009-19, including one cultivar ‘Bright Spark’. These form a rounded shrub to 70cm high and wide with linear leaves and red, yellow or green tubular flowers . This shrub is native to the arid parts of Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia and tends to fade away after a few years. We now have none of these plants remaining.
Prostanthera calycina (Photo above right)
Prostanthera calycina, or Limestone Mintbush, is a spreading perennial to 0.5m high and is endemic to the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia. This plant has dark green aromatic leaves and dull red flowers and is listed as vulnerable in the wild. We planted one in March 2014 and three in April 2017, but there was only one remaining after winter ’17. We planted three new plants in February 2019 in a more sheltered area and these have persisted.
Prostanthera cryptandroides
We planted four Prostanthera cryptandroides in November 2016, and two more in February 2019 and 2020. These are small shrubs to 2m high and 1m wide, with fragrant, sticky, light green leaves and mauve flowers. They occur in NSW and Queensland and are listed as rare and vulnerable. They flowered for the first time for us in January 2017. One was stepped on and died over winter ’17.
Prostanthera denticulata
We have planted two of these straggling shrubs, 1m high x 2m wide, with aromatic; foliage covered with short hairs and purple flowers, in November 2012 and Octobe 2021. The first plant died in December 2019, but the second one persists. This plant is native to damp areas in sclerophyll forest and woodland, usually near the coast, in sandy loamy soils, overlying sandstone and is confined to the Sydney district.
Prostanthera densa – Mint Velvet
We planred this erect, compact shrub, 2m high, with aromatic, hairy leaves and pale mauve flowers, in November 2023. This variety is native to Gan Gan Hill, Nelson Bay, NSW. Listed as vulnerable. Developed at Mt. Annan. Coastal variety, so needs frost protection.
Prostanthera denticulata ‘Purple Haze’
We planted this dense shrub, 0.4m high x 0.5m wide, which produces a mass display of purple flowers, in a pot, in October 2023. This plant prefers full sun and well drained soils.
Prostanthera gilesii (Photo below left)
We planted three Prostanthera gilesii under some overhead protection in February 2017, but these have not thrived in our garden, although one remains in 2024. They form a small compact plant, 1m x 1m, with dark green shiny leaves and large white to cream flowers blotched with violet in the throat. One plant did bloom for the first time in December 2017, but one died and the other looks poorly and has been removed. This plant is native to the area around Orange and Bathurst in NSW and is listed as critically endangered.
Prostanthera granitica (Photo above right)
We planted one Prostanthera grantica in March 2018, but this plant is not thriving in our garden. This plant forms a spreading shrub 0.6m high and 2m wide with small leaves and showy purple flowers. We did get some flowers in October 2018, but this plant has not grown well. This plant is native to the slopes and tablelands of NSW.
Prostanthera incana ‘Penrose Pink’
We planted one of these shrubs, 1.5m high x 2m wide, with soft pink flowers in November 2021, then another three in February 2022. This plant needs a well drained site in partial shade to full sun.
Prostanthera incana pink (photo below left)
We planted one Prostanthera incana pink in October 2012. This plant has grown to 1m x 1m for us and can grow to 1.5m x 1.5m with aromatic woolly leaves and pink flowers. It bloomed for the first time for us in September 2014 and blooms reliably each year. This plant is native to the woodlands of NSW and Victoria.
Prostanthera incisa (Photo above right)
We love Prostanthera incisa and have planted 11 of these from 2012-2019. This plant grows to a rounded shrub 1.5m high and wide with small, toothed, very fragrant leaves and violet flowers. It is a great plant to trail your hand over at any time of the year. We did discover that these plants are very sensitive to lack of water and need consistent moisture throughout the summer. We have trimmed ours back many times and they respond vey well. This plant is native to rocky hilltops of eastern mainland Australia.
Prostanthera lasioanthos dwarf form (photo below left)
We planted one of this hardy form, 2m high x 1.5m wide, with dense dark green foliage and white flowers in November 2021 and another two in February 2022. This plant will thrive in full sun or part shade. First flowers December 2021.
Prosanthera linearis (Photo above right)
We planted one Prostanthera linearis in February 2018 which we hope will form a shrub to 2.5m high and 2m wide with narrow aromatic foliage and violet flowers. This plant flowered well in October 2020 and is native to NSW from Milton in the south to Gosford in the north.
Prostanthera magnifica
Prostanthera magnifica has been a problem plant in our garden. We have planted six of them over the six years between 2013 and 2019. Most of them have been planted in a pot and have lasted a few years then died. Now we have three of them planted in a very protected place in our garden and they have come through winter 2019 very well and flowered this spring and summer. This plant can grow to 2m high, but so far in our garden has only reached 1m. The leaves are lance shaped with wavy margins and the tubular flowers are mauve, pink or purple and have prominent purple calyces which enlarge after flowering and last over a long period. This is a most desirable plant and we will persist in trying to grow it successfully although all plants have died by 2023. This plant is native to the coast and inland of central Western Australia.
Prosanthera ‘Mauve Mantle’ (photos below)
We planted one Prostanthera ‘Mauve Mantle’ in our garden in May 2019 and another in October 2022. This plant forms a groundcover 0.6m high x 3m wide with small dark green leaves and pale mauve flowers in spring. We have planted a specimen in a very protected position in our garden and it has rewarded us with many beautiful flowers in October 2020, however sadly died in March 2022.
Prostanthera melissifolia pink form (Photos below)
We have planted one Prostanthera melissifolia pink form, or Balm Mintbush, in our garden in October 2013. This shrub grows to 3m high and 2m wide, with very aromatic leaves and soft pink flowers. Our plant grew to 1m x 1m, but sadly died in the heat in January 2017. We have planted another one in August 2019 under more protection and it is flowering well in October 2020. This plant is native to eastern Victorian mountain forests.
Prostanthera melissifolia purple
We planted this large shrub, 3m high and wide, with toothed ovate aromatic leaves and sprays of purple flowers, in March 2023. This plant does best in well drained soils in semi-shade to part sun with plenty of mulch. Very showy in flower.
Prostanthera nivea
We planted this open spreading shrub, 3m high x 3m wide, with light green linear leaves and white to pale mauve flowers, in March 2023. This plant needs good drainage in part or full sun and is fast growing. Regular pruning essential.
Prostanthera ovalifolia (Photos above)
Prostanthera ovalifolia, or Purple Mint Bush, is very popular and widely planted. This shrub grows to 2m high with oval leaves which are strongly aromatic and many purple flowers in spring. This plant is reputed to be one of the most reliable of the mint bushes, however in our early garden, without much protection, all 15 died after a couple of years. We now have just one planted in November 2019. This plant is native to the inland areas of NSW and southern Queensland.
Prostanthera phylicifolia (Photo below left)
I have long admired Prostanthera phylicifolia planted in Banks Walk at the Australian National Botanic Garden. This plant has grown to a dense shrub, 1.5m high x 1m wide with very long lasting violet flowers with purple spots in spring. We planted three of these in October 2009 and another two in 2010. These were hard to establish in our garden and only one remains, but it blooms over a long period. This plant is native to hillsides of eastern mainland Australia.
Prostanthera porcata (Photo above right)
We planted one Prostanthera porcata in November 2019 and this plant has grown well and flowered for months over summer ‘19/’20. This plant should grow to 2m high with aromatic leaves and pink flowers in the leaf axils and is endemic to the Budawang Range in southeastern NSW. Unfortunately, this plant turned up its toes in May 2021, so we planted another yellow form in November 2022.
Prostanthera prunelloides – Prunella Mint Bush
We planted this upright aromatic bushy shrub, 2m high, with 4-ridged branchlets, broad ovate leaves and mauve flowers in summer, in March 2023. Native to Murwillumbah to Budawang Range, NSW.
Prostanthera rhombea (Photo below left)
We have planted seven Prostanthera rhombea, both pink and mauve flowered, over the six years 2013-2019. This plant is a small spreading shrub to 1.5m high and 2.5m wide, but has only grown to half that size in our garden. We have one mauve and one pink flowered forms flowering well in our garden in October 2020, but all are gone now by November 2022. This plant is native to eastern mainland Australia.
Prostanthera rotundifolia (Photo above right)
Prostanthera rotundifolia, or Round-leaf Mintbush, is another very popular mintbush which grows to 2.5m high and 1.5m wide with aromatic foliage and purple flowers. We planted seven of these between 2005 and 2014, but most lasted just a few years then died. This plant is native to NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. We also planted 13 Prostanthera rotundifolia ‘Mini Pink’ between 2015-19, but half of these have also died. This plant forms a small dense shrub 1m x 75cm wide with dark green aromatic leaves and pink flowers.
Prostanthera rupicola (was P. lasianthos ‘Donnybrook’) (Photos below, left two)
We have planted three Prostanthera rupicola in April 2018. These form a shrub up to 2m high and wide with scented dark green foliage and mauve-pink flowers. These have grown well to 1m high and wide and have flowered for the first time in October 2019. These plants died in November 2023.
Prostanthera scutellarioides (Photos above, right two))
We have planted 5 Prostanthera scutellarioides during the period 2009-2019 and four of these remain. We planted another in April 2021. They form a shrub 2m high x 1m across with linear leaves and purple flowers in the spring. Our plants have only grown to 0.5m high and wide but do have very aromatic leaves and flower over a long period. This plant is native to the tablelands of NSW and southern Queensland.
Prostanthera staurophylla (Photos below, left two)
Prostanthera staurophylla, or Tenterfield Mintbush, is a rare plant with grey-green fragrant leaves and many small purple flowers from northern NSW around Tenterfield. We planted our first two shrubs in October 2013 and have since planted 17 other plants made from cuttings, of which four remain. This plant can grow to 1.5m high and wide, but is smaller than that so far in our garden.
Prostanthera teretifolia ‘Refreshment’ (photos above, right two)
We planted this shrub, 1.5m high and wide, with erect branches with small grey green linear foliage with a pleasant mint scent and prolific mauve flowers in August 2019. This plant is happy in a full sun or semi-shaded position in well drained soil and is tolerant of frost and responds well to pruning.
Prostanthera waiteri
We planted this shrub, 1m high x 1.5m wide, with dark green fragrant foliage, many greenish flowers with purple veins, in March 2023. This plant needs a semi-shaded, cool, well drained position. Died March 2024.
