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Boronia muelleri

Boronia pinnata var. muelleri
Forest Boronia

5,0/5
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Same remark as for the other boronia.

martine, 05/11/2024

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This plant carries a 24 months recovery warranty

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A charming Australian bush with an upright habit, featuring finely cut evergreen light green foliage that is aromatic when crushed. Its long spring and summer flowering takes the form of numerous small, pale pink stars gathered in clusters in the axils of the leaves. It is best grown in the ground in our mildest regions due to its low hardiness (-5°C (23 °F)). This species requires a sandy, non-calcareous soil that remains moist. It can also be grown in pots and protected during the winter.
Flower size
1 cm
Height at maturity
1.50 m
Spread at maturity
1 m
Exposure
Sun, Partial shade
Hardiness
Hardy down to -4°C
Soil moisture
Moist soil
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Best planting time April to May
Recommended planting time March to May
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Flowering time May to July
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Description

Boronia muelleri, the Forest Boronia, is a highly flowering aromatic Australian bush that will delight enthusiasts of rare and exotic plants. From a distance, in spring and summer, it resembles a heath with its upright habit, delicate foliage, and hundreds of small pink flowers. Like heather, it prefers sandy, poor, and acidic soil, but the comparison ends there. It is a plant related to citrus trees, not very hardy, comfortable in soils that remain moist even in summer. If you have a garden located on the coast, this Boronia should thrive in the ground. As it performs very well in pots, gardeners in cooler climates can admire it on the terrace throughout the summer and bring it indoors in winter in a lightly heated greenhouse or conservatory.

Boronia muelleri (synonym B. pinnata var. muelleri) is a shrub in the Rutaceae family, just like citrus trees. It is native to the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales. In the wild, it is found in forests, woods, and heathlands, on sandy and moist soils. Its species name, pinnata, refers to its small pinnate leaves, composed of very fine leaflets. It has fairly rapid growth, reaching its adult size in 3-4 years. This shrub, with an upright and generally oval habit, will reach approximately 1.50m (4ft 11in) in height and 1m (3ft 4in) in width in the ground, sometimes much larger depending on the growing conditions. It develops slender branches covered with warty glands. These branches bear leaves composed of 7 to 17 leaflets that release a pleasant fragrance when crushed. The flowering, particularly long-lasting, occurs in spring and summer. Numerous small flowers appear in the axils of the leaves, clustered in small groups of 10 to 15 units. They are small bell-shaped flowers composed of 4 waxy petals of varying shades of pink, which open in a star shape around a bouquet of yellow and villous stamens. During fruit formation, the petals close and persist for a long time, enclosing the fruit until it ripens. This specificity gives the illusion of an endless flowering period.

Boronia muelleri cannot withstand temperatures below -5/-6°C and does not tolerate limestone or dry or heavy soils. It likes sun, but not scorching, and appreciates having cool roots. Its requirements are clear and must be respected to succeed in its cultivation and enjoy its magnificent flowering. Outside of certain coastal, it is possible to grow it in a pot, where the substrate and wintering conditions can be controlled. In the garden, this forest Boronia can be associated, for example, with Galvezia speciosa, Gomphostigma virgatum, or Dieramas. On the terrace or balcony, it can be surrounded by Dark Blue Cape Plumbago, with its long-lasting blue flowers, a Tibouchina, or a Double-Flowered Common Myrtle. 

 

Boronia muelleri in pictures

Boronia muelleri (Flowering) Flowering
Boronia muelleri (Foliage) Foliage

Plant habit

Height at maturity 1.50 m
Spread at maturity 1 m
Habit Irregular, bushy
Growth rate fast

Flowering

Flower colour pink
Flowering time May to July
Flower size 1 cm
Bee-friendly Attracts pollinators
Flowering description Numerous pale pink stars

Foliage

Foliage persistence Evergreen
Foliage colour green
Aromatic? Fragrant foliage when creased
Foliage description Evergreen but tender.

Botanical data

Genus

Boronia

Species

pinnata var. muelleri

Family

Rutaceae

Other common names

Forest Boronia

Origin

Australia

Product reference182651

Planting and care

Boronia muelleri is hardy down to -5 °C, but it loses its leaves as soon as the temperature drops below 0 °C. Plant it in the ground or in pots preferably in spring. Choose a sunny or semi-shady exposure. The soil should be light, rather sandy, and strictly neutral to acidic: a mix of heath soil, sand, and compost will be suitable. Water the Boronia with non-limestone or low-limestone water in summer, as this plant requires the soil not to dry out too much in order to flower and develop well.

If grown in a pot, it should be taken outside as soon as frost is no longer a concern. Choose a large container, as the planting substrate should always retain some moisture. Store your Boronia frost-free in autumn, in a cold greenhouse, in a lightly heated veranda or a bright and cool room.

Pruning is not necessary, except to remove dead branches or rebalance the habit. But to make it denser, the tips of the branches can be slightly shortened just after flowering. Pruning later will compromise the flowering of the following year.

 

 

Planting period

Best planting time April to May
Recommended planting time March to May

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow
Type of use Border, Container, Greenhouse
Hardiness Hardy down to -4°C (USDA zone 9b) Show map
Ease of cultivation Experienced
Planting density 1 per m2
Exposure Sun, Partial shade
Soil pH Acidic, Neutral
Soil type Silty-loamy (rich and light), Stony (poor and well-drained)
Soil moisture Moist soil, Light, fertile, well-draining

Care

Pruning instructions Pruning is not obligatory, except to remove dead branches or rebalance the habit. However, to make it denser, one can slightly shorten the ends of the branches just after flowering. Pruning later will compromise the flowering of the following year.
Pruning Pruning recommended once a year
Pruning time August to September
Soil moisture Moist soil
Disease resistance Good
Overwinter Needs to be stored
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