Scientific Name: Spyridium vexilliferum var. vexilliferum

Common Name: helicopter bush

Family Classification (Clade): Eudicots

Family: Rhamnaceae

Threatened Species Status: Rare

Permit: It is an offence to collect, disturb, damage or destroy this species unless under permit.

Form Description: Slender, twiggy shrub.

Height (m): 0.3 – 0.9

Flowers: Button-like heads. Individual flowers white, 1.5 mm in diameter, 5 sepals, 5 petals forming hoods over stamens. Each head has 1-3 conspicuous white, velvety, floral bracts.

Fruit: Papery capsule

Municipality
Circular HeadDerwent ValleyFlindersGlamorgan-Spring BayHobartLaunceston
Plant Communities
Coastal VegetationHeathRiparian
Habitat Notes

Locally common in sandy heaths, on river banks and rocky slopes in the east, north and west.

Site Tolerance

Dry, Moist, Rocky

Soil Tolerance

Loam, Nutrient-poor, Sandy, Well-drained

General Notes

Requires full sun. Responds well to pruning. Resistant to Phytophthora cinnamomi.

Propagation Calendar

  • Flowering Month
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
  • Seed Collecting Month
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
  • Sowing Month
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
  • Cutting Month
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Propagation Method
Seed, Cuttings

Seed Information

Seed Collection

Difficult to grow from seed. Capsules to 3mm wide releasing brownish-black small seeds from valves when mature. Close monitoring required. Cut fruit from plant when brown and dry or bag nearly mature fruit.

Cutting & Division Information

Usually grown from cuttings.