Hognails

These funny looking things are the blossoms of an Australian Rice Flower. They also go by the common names Pill Flower, Sago Bush or White Dogwood. They are relatively new on the market and have become popular in the last 10 years or so. My leading hand and I had been trying for ages to get a couple of plants in to try and see how they go. They can become quite tall shrubs, up to 2m tall. They are native to New South Wales and Queensland, so it may be a few more years before we fully see what they are capable of in our sandy Western Australian soils. They are hard as hognails when they are established, requiring little water and a good prune every so often. They are also very rewarding plants. You can get them in pink or white hues and they flower quite prolifically. The one in the photo has been in bloom for a good couple of months now. The flowers, even thought they are small, last a long time in flower arrangements and I have used them a couple of times in my floristry. Im excited to see what this plant does with itself over the next couple of years.