CORREA. Australian fuchsia. Widespread in Australia. These are shrubs of usually quiet beauty, varying considerably in size and habit. Most are closely branched and have dark green or grey green, oval leaves which are felted or fuzzy beneath. From fall to early (sometimes mid) spring they display an abundance of hanging, bell shaped blossoms of red to white or chartreuse, often attractively bicolored. Sun or part shade, well drained soil, moderate watering. Hardy to 15-20o, varying somewhat by species.
‘Dusky Bells’. An Australian selection first introduced here under the name ‘Carmine Bells’. It is a densely branched, mounding shrub, perhaps 1½’ to 2’ high and twice as broad. It has neat dark green foliage, often hiding the 2" carmine flowers. This selection has already gained some popularity as a ground cover.
‘Harrisii’. Though never wildly popular, this is one of my favorites among the correas received from the U.C. Santa Cruz Arboretum. It is vigorous and somewhat openly branched, probably reaching 4’ or more. It has medium-green leaves and large red flowers. It is easier to grow than the beautiful C. “neglecta” described below.
‘Ivory Bells’. This is a dense, roundish shrub of probably 5’. The broad leaves present an attractive contrast between dark green upper surfaces and felted tan undersides. The plant is decorated for several months each year with ivory blossoms opening from yellowish-tan buds.
pulchella. This is a highly variable species. The traditional, unnamed selection grows about 3’ tall and is considerably more in breadth. The stems are thickly clad with grey green leaves and display abundant soft pink 3/4" bells in winter and early spring. ‘Orange Flame’ is probably the plant I once offered as C. neglecta. It is quite dwarf, with small, smooth green leaves and abundant red-orange flowers. From the U.C. Santa Cruz/Koala Blooms plant introduction program in 2001 came the cultivar ‘Pink Flamingo’. This is more compact in growth than the previous selection, with rather shiny, dark green leaves, paler on their lower surface. The plant is wonderfully floriferous, carrying many bright salmon pink bells from November to March. Its hardiness is conservatively rated at “mid 20s”, though I suspect that it will survive bouts of 20o or less.
reflexa ‘Yanakie’. A selection of fairly open growth like C. ‘Harrisii’, but with larger, more deeply veined fuzzy leaves, tinged with red in new growth. The large red flowers are tipped with pale green. Another Australian selection received from the U.C. Santa Cruz Arboretum.
schlechtendalii. Erect-oval in form and quite compact, with small grey green leaves. It blooms most of the year for us, displaying narrow blossoms painted rose pink with chartreuse tips.
‘Sister Dawn’. Dr. Ray Collett, who built and for many years directed the U.C. Santa Cruz Arboretum, dabbled in hybridizing with several groups of Australian plants. Some of the results are quite outstanding.‘Sister Dawn’ is a well-branched, spreading shrub with furry greyish stems and broadly oval leaves up to 1½” long. The leaves are green above, felted with tan hairs beneath. The abundant flowers are over an inch long and colored a soft coral pink along the tubes; the tips are light yellow.