Victorian Christmas Bush, Mint-bush - Prostanthera lasianthos (Lamiaceae)

Victorian Christmas Bush, Mint-bush 

 Prostanthera lasianthos (Lamiaceae)

Prostanthera - from Greek words meaning appendage and anther, referring to the structure of the stamens;
lasianthos - hairy flowers

Description: Glabrous, compact tall shrub or upright small tree

Habitat: Shaded gullies, wet, damp and valley sclerophyll forests, lowland to subalps

Distribution: Southern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Australian National Territory and Tasmania

AVH (Australian Virtual Herbarium) distribution map.

Plant size: 2-8 m x 2-5 m

Foliage: Lanceolate leaves. opposite, dark green above, paler green beneath, 40-100 mm x 10-25 mm, margins with small teeth, fresh minty aroma when crushed. ^(2,1)

Flower: Showy elongated panicles of hairy, white bilabiate flowers with orange and purple dots. Flowering November to January. ^(2,1)

 

 In the garden: Best in moist, well drained loamy soils in a protected position. Responds well to mulching and summer watering. ⁽¹⁾ I have one in a large ceramic pot in my backyard in Brunswick which appears to be still doing well after a year. In this situation regular summer watering is essential. 

Further reading and links

APNI: Austrailian Plant Name Index: http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cgi-bin/apni

Growing Native Plants: Australian National Botanic Gardens - Australian National Herbarium: http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/gnp3/prostanthera-lasianthos.html

References

1.     Australian Plant Society Maroondah, Inc. (2001). Flora of Melbourne: A guide to the Indigenous Plants of the Greater Melbourne Area. Hyland House, Melbourne.

2.     Costermans L (1994). Native Trees and Shrubs of South-eastern Australia. Reed New Holland, Sydney.