Adenanthos sericeus is a shrub from the Proteaceae family, native to the southern coast of Western Australia, where it grows on coastal sand hills and rocky outcrops.
It is an evergreen shrub that can reach two and a half meters in height and one meter eighty in width, with a compact habit reminiscent of fir trees.
Its needle-like leaves, very soft to the touch and grayish-green in color, can reach 4 centimeters in length. It blooms during spring, between May and July, with red flowers found at the end of the branches, either solitary or in small groups. They are small, highly divided flowers with a long style.
Detail of Adenanthos sericeus flower; Source: © Guillem Morral
It is a species belonging to hardiness zone number 9, with an average annual minimum temperature range of -6.6 / -1.2°C, which means it can tolerate very mild frosts.
It is a species that thrives in full sun and is very drought resistant. It does not require any watering during summer, apart from natural rainfall. It does not like heavy, poorly-draining soils, so we will always try to plant it in any other type of soil as long as it drains well. It is beneficial to cover the soil with some type of mulch to retain maximum soil moisture.
Adenanthos grows well in rocky soils as its roots allow good anchoring in this type of soil, making it well-adapted to rock garden landscaping.
As mentioned earlier, it is a species that naturally grows near the sea, which makes it resistant to salinity and sea breeze.
Pruning is not necessary although it can improve the plant's habit and even favor its use as a low hedge, creating a plant screen in coastal gardens.
Image of Adenanthos sericeus; Source: www.lullfitz.au
It can be used as a specimen plant in Mediterranean climate gardens.
Its general habit and that of its branches make it suitable for use during these dates, as the young plant has a shape similar to that of a small silky-looking Christmas tree.
The silvery foliage that characterizes it allows its use in the cut flower industry; we can add that its long duration allows the cut foliage to remain looking good for up to 30 days.
At our nursery we have Adenanthos available in 3L containers. It is a highly recommendable plant that we encourage you to try, especially during Christmas time.