Family: Proteaceae

All 65 species of shrubs in this genus are endemic to Western Australia. With showy flower domes and attractive, evergreen foliage, these bushy shrubs are related to Banksia. Their natural habitats include dry, rocky or sandy coastal areas and open scrub.

Species

D. floribunda, hollyleaf dryandra, a more easily grown species, reaches up to 2.5 m (8 ft). Its flowers are a rich creamy colour, with lighter coloured bracts, and its stiff, holly-like foliage is toothed at the margins. Both the flow­ers and the foliage dry well.

D. formosa, showy dryandra, is a beautiful, upright shrub, growing 3 m (10 ft), and grown for its rich orange, fra­grant flowers, with lighter bracts, and its attrac­tive, narrow, toothed foliage.

D. polycephala has small, narrow, finely serrated leaves and a profusion of small, yellow flowers. It grows to 2-3 m (6-10 ft).

D. praemorsa, cut-leaf dryan­dra, is a fine, bushy shrub, to 3 m (10 ft), with broad, prickly leaves and large, yellow flowers.

D. speciosa is one of the most beautiful of the species and well suited to greenhouses as it grows to only 1.2 m (4 it. Its silvery gray buds open to silky, salmon pink flowers, later turn­ing a gold-brown colour, surrounded by white bracts. This species provides excellent cut flowers.

Cultivation

In frost-prone climates, grow in a cool conservatory or greenhouse, in pots of acid, soil-based potting compost enriched with extra peat and sharp sand. Provide maximum light. Water sparingly in winter, normally in growing season. Outdoors, plants need a sunny spot with poor, acid to neutral, well-drained soil. They dislike root disturbance. Propagate from seed sown under glass in spring. Germinate at 18°C (64°F).

Climate

Zone 10.