Pink Fivecorner
Styphelia triflora
Family: Epacridaceae
What it is like
Styphelia triflora is an evergreen Shrub growing to 1 m (3ft 3in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9. It is in leaf all year, in flower from June to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 1
Where it is found
Sandy soils in coastal and mountain heathlands.
Australia - New South Wales, Queensland.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Fruit - raw or cooked. A sweetish flesh but the seed is large. The fruit is about 8 - 10mm long.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
Requires a peaty sandy soil and very careful watering. Succeeds in poor soils. Plants tolerate temperatures down to about -7°c in Australian gardens, though this cannot be translated directly to British gardens because of our cooler summers and longer colder and wetter winters. Plants are only likely to succeed outdoors in the mildest parts of the country.
Propagating it: Seed - probably best sown as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse. The seed can be very slow to germinate. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter, planting them out in early summer. Cuttings can be taken though it is usually hard to find sufficient material.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge;
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 8-11
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist