Intricate, fern-like leaves in lush green set off panicles of white to ivory flowers with a powerful, wafty scent — this is guitar plant (Lomatia tinctoria), a Tasmanian shrub as happy in a patio pot as in a dry gravel bed. Give it a sun-filled spot and sharp drainage, and summer bloom is abundant.
| Name | Lomatia tinctoria |
|---|---|
| Family | Proteaceae |
| Type | evergreen shrub |
| Height | 6 ½ feet (2 meters) |
| Exposure | full sun |
| Soil | well-drained, acidic |
| Foliage | evergreen |
| Flowering | summer |
Caring for it is rewarding and enjoyable. Here are the key tips for growing it.
To ensure proper blooming, there are a few steps you can take to make sure your guitar plant is satisfied.
This is a shrub that is easy to care for when grown outside. However, you must make sure drainage, exposure and soil type match its needs.
Guitar plant, when planted outdoors, is drought resistant up to a certain point.
Since its root system is shallow, you can easily succeed in growing a guitar plant in a pot.
This shrub readily spreads through rhizomes.
Seeds are also a very effective means of propagation.
Lastly, cuttings will start easily, especially from branches that haven’t yet sprouted flowers.
Guitar plant can be increased in three quite different ways, and each asks something different of you. Here is what to expect from rhizomes, seeds and cuttings.
| Method | How it works | Ease | Point to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhizomes | Roots travel underground and new sprouts appear at the sides of the bush | Happens on its own, no work needed | Small risk of turning invasive if left completely unattended |
| Seeds | Pods ring hollow when dry, pop open and project winged seeds to the winds | Germinate easily with no preliminary preparation | Deadheading after bloom stops pods forming, so leave some flowers for seed |
| Cuttings | Taken from branches of the shrub | Start easily | Choose branches that haven’t yet sprouted flowers |
Whichever route you take, the young plant will still want a sun-filled spot and sharply drained, acidic soil.
Pruning isn’t really needed, since the bush won’t grow any taller than two yards or meters of its own accord. A few snips of the shears, however, will make sure the plant grows into a wonderful, tight shape.
After blooming, remove wilted flowers to trigger new blooming. If not, the plant will instead direct its efforts to growing seed pods.
Lastly, remove dead wood often and clear out inside branches. The goal is to let light penetrate to the center.
>> Our video on Guitar plant care << (Activate translation subtitles)
In pots, it’s important to water as soon as the soil is dry. Only water moderately, though, except if you have excellent drainage. In the growing season, add generic flower shrub fertilizer or ferment your own from weeds (warning, stinky in some cases!).
If your tree is growing outside in the ground, water in case of prolonged dry spells or heat waves during the first two years.
Avoid phosphorus-rich fertilisers, since many Proteaceae are highly sensitive to phosphorus and can be damaged by it; use a low-phosphorus fertiliser formulated for native plants instead, without specifying how the harm occurs.
Never leave the pot sitting in a full saucer.
A mulch of pine bark or pine needles helps keep the soil cool and moist around shallow-rooted plants, though such mulches do little to lower or maintain soil acidity.
This Tasmanian shrub is usually immune to most diseases. The only risk is overwatering in case of improper drainage.
If the leaves start turning black, it’s often linked to excess watering. Reduce watering frequency and check that the soil drains well enough.
It is a great source of nourishment for moths and butterflies, too.
Never leave a potted guitar plant standing in a full saucer.
As a member of the Proteaceae family, guitar plant is sensitive to phosphorus, so pick a low-phosphate feed to avoid scorched, blackening leaf tips.
On heavy or clay ground, set the shrub on a slight mound so the collar sits above the surrounding soil and water cannot pool around the stem base.
Guitar plant will pair well with most of the plants for acidic soil.
However, since it needs a lot of sun, it’s best to keep it as the tallest plant in the flower bed.
Skip any neighbour that calls for bone meal or phosphate-rich feed.
This is a very easy shrub to care for. It is hardy down to 14°F (-10°C), or even 10°F (-12°C). Summer is when it blooms in abundance.
Native to Tasmania, off the coast of Australia, it grows into a round, bushy shrub. The white or ivory-colored flowers form elegant panicles. They’re especially attractive, not only to insects but to garden lovers, too! They have a powerful, wafty scent that is pleasantly intriguing.
Leaves are amazingly intricate, fern-like and lush green in color. In this they’re similar to herbs such as dill and other flowers like cosmos. But the plant it most resembles is the Grevillea flower.
The latin name for this plant is Lomatia tinctoria. Though its native habitat is only the island of Tasmania, it is now grown and sold across the world for the enjoyment of many!
The blooming and delicately-scented fragrance make it an ideal shrub for containers. Use this to decorate your patio or balcony!
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