Scientific Name: Styphelia nesophila
Common Name: prickly beardheath
Family Classification (Clade): Eudicots
Family: Ericaceae
Form Description: Small, shrubby plant, branched from the base, with slender, wiry branches.
Flowers: White, solitary on short stalks with the inner surface of the flower tube bearded.
Fruit: Fleshy yellowish-orange drupe with 4-5 sections; 3–4 mm diameter, spherical, glabrous.
Municipality
Plant Communities
Habitat Notes
Local in upland grassland and on the margins of swamps.
Site Tolerance
Exposed, Moist, Waterlogged, Windy
Soil Tolerance
Fertile, Loam, Nutrient-poor, Poorly-drained, Well-drained
General Notes
Not easily maintained in cultivation. It is suggested that most species require a well-drained, well-composted soil with cool root run provided by large flat stones or a thick mulch. Some shade is also considered beneficial.
Propagation Calendar
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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 Information
Seed Treatment Method
Storage Stratification at 3-5°C for up to 3 months may improve results. Place seed in a damp medium, lightly covered. Put moist seeds in a plastic bag and store in the fridge.
Seed Treatment Notes
Poor results from untreated seed. Storage in dark place for 3-6 months may promote germination. Sow in soil from under parent plant. Some success also with bird-ingested seed. Germination time can be reduced with stratification.
Germination Time
3-18 months
Cutting & Division Information
Usually grown from cuttings. The percentage strike is generally low and the roots that are formed are very fine and easily damaged in repotting operations.