Small and prickly

A small, prickly shrub to 2 metres in sandy heaths, open forests and woodlands. Generally in open and drier areas on light soils throughout Australia’s east coast. Phyllodes to 2 cm, dark green, spiny. Very prickly, as the name suggests. Will provide useful small-bird habitat and should be encouraged. Has been used in gardens as a hedge plant. Useful in preventing intrusion by dogs. Flowers are cream puff balls in winter and spring. The name refers to the gorse genus Ulex like foliage. There are seaside variants.

lookscloser CC BY-SA 2.0

Seed collecting and propagation

The flowers are pale cream. The seed pod is 3–5 cm long, 3 mm wide, curved and evenly constricted between the seeds.  Flowers April to September. Propagate from scarified seed or boiling water treatment.

Seed pods. Photo: Robert Whyte