This shrub is a dominant and key species along much of our coastline; especially on the clay/limestone cliffs like Jan Juc where high pH, salt spray and dry conditions are a feature of the landscape. Their capacity to readily form new shoots from buds underneath the bark allows them to respond to fire or high salinity events such as our occasional strong south-easterlies. This feature also makes them ideal as hedging plants but more importantly is a source of cover for many of our coastal birds including the rare and Endangered Rufous Bristlebird.
Foliage is dark green above and a woolly bronze underneath.
Flowers are pink and relatively small but their abundance gives a pinkish tinge to the tips of each plant in mid spring. Pollination is by insects as indicated by the native wasp in plate 3.
This plant tolerates dry conditions but strongly dislikes water-logging.