''Correa reflexa'', commonly known as common correa or native fuchsia, is a shrub which is endemic to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Description

Plants are quite variable and a large number of varieties and local forms have been identified. Heights vary from prostrate to 1.5 metres high. Leaves are generally oval in shape and range from 10mm to 50mm long. Their surfaces often have visible oil glands and short hairs. The pendant, tubular flowers occur in groups of 1 to 3 and are up to 40 mm long with 4 flaring triangular tips. Colour is variable including pale green, red with yellow tips and other variations.

Taxonomy

The species was first formally described in 1800 by botanist

Jacques Labillardière Jacques-Julien Houtou de Labillardière (28 October 1755 – 8 January 1834) was a French biologist noted for his descriptions of the flora of Australia. Labillardière was a member of a voyage in search of the Jean-François de Galaup, comte ...

in ''

Relation du Voyage à la Recherche de la Pérouse ''Relation du Voyage à la Recherche de la Pérouse'' is an 1800 book that gives an account of the 1791-1793 d'Entrecasteaux expedition to Australasia. The title refers to the search for La Pérouse, who disappeared in the region in 1788, a popu ...

'' based on the type from Adventure Bay in southern Tasmania. He gave it the name ''Mazeutoxeron reflexum'' and published the description in ''

''. The species was transferred to the genus ''Correa'' as ''C. reflexa'' in 1803 by

Étienne Pierre Ventenat Étienne Pierre Ventenat (1 March 1757 – 13 August 1808) was a French botanist born in Limoges. He was the brother of naturalist Louis Ventenat (1765–1794). While employed as director of the ecclesiastic library Sainte-Geneviève in Paris, V ...

in '' Jardin de la Malmaison''. The following varieties are accepted by the

Australian Plant Census The Australian Plant Census (APC) provides an online interface to currently accepted, published, scientific names of the vascular flora of Australia, as one of the output interfaces of the national government Integrated Biodiversity Information Syst ...

: * ''C. reflexa'' var. ''angustifolia'' Paul G.Wilson - Grampians correa (Vic.) *''C. reflexa'' var. ''insularis'' Paul G.Wilson (S.A.) * ''C. reflexa'' var. ''lobata'' Paul G.Wilson - Powelltown correa (Vic.) * ''C. reflexa'' var. ''nummulariifolia'' (Hook.f.) Paul G.Wilson - roundleaf correa (Tas.) *''C. reflexa'' (Labill.) Vent. var. ''reflexa'' (S.A., Qld., N.S.W., A.C.T., Vic., Tas.) *''C. reflexa'' var. ''scabridula'' Paul G.Wilson - western correa (S.A.,Vic.) * ''C. reflexa'' var. ''speciosa'' (Donn ex Andrews) Paul G.Wilson - eastern correa (N.S.W., Vic.) Natural hybrids have been recorded with ''

Correa alba ''Correa alba'', commonly known as white correa, is a species of shrub that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has egg-shaped to more or less circular leaves, erect white flowers arranged singly or in groups on short side branches, and ...

'', '' C. pulchella'', '' C. aemula'' and '' C. decumbens''.

Use in horticulture

''Correa reflexa'' prefers a position with good drainage and some shade. The species is generally not suited to tropical regions, although use of forms from sub-tropical areas of New South Wales may afford some success. Tip pruning after flowering promotes a more compact form and enhanced flowering in the following season. Plants are generally pest and disease free. Propagation from seed is difficult, but plants may be readily propagated from semi-mature cuttings of new seasons growth which also ensures plants are true-to-form. ''Correa reflexa'' has received the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

Cultivars

*''C. reflexa'' 'Briagalong' *''C. reflexa'' 'Brisbane Range' *''C. reflexa'' 'Carpenter Rocks' *''C. reflexa'' 'Clearview Fairy' *''C. reflexa'' 'Clearview Large Red' *''C. reflexa'' 'Crystalline' *''C. reflexa'' 'Dawn Glow' *''C. reflexa'' 'Desert Glow' *''C. reflexa'' x '' C. pulchella'' ' Dusky Bells', *''C. reflexa'' 'Dutchembegarra' *''C. reflexa'' 'Fat Fred' *''C. reflexa'' 'Icicle' *''C. reflexa'' 'Kangaroo Island' *''C. reflexa'' 'Lemon and Lime' *''C. reflexa'' 'Maroondah Tricolor' *''C. reflexa'' 'Mary's Choice' *''C. reflexa'' 'Maryborough' *''C. reflexa'' 'Mountain Giant' *''C. reflexa'' 'Clearview Giant' *''C. reflexa'' 'Mt Richmond Red' *''C. reflexa'' 'Narrow Neil' *''C. reflexa'' 'Old Gold' *''C. reflexa'' 'Portland Dawn Glow' *''C. reflexa'' 'Portland Peach' *''C. reflexa'' 'Portland' *''C. reflexa'' 'S.E. Gippsland' *''C. reflexa'' 'Squat Queen' *''C. reflexa'' 'Squat' *''C. reflexa'' 'Wildfire' *''C. reflexa'' 'Wilson's Promontory Lime and Gold' *''C. reflexa'' 'Lemon and Lime' *''C. reflexa'' 'Yanakie'

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q8463551 reflexa Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Flora of South Australia Flora of Tasmania Flora of Victoria (Australia)