Native Shrubs

Notched bush-pea — Pultenaea retusa

Pultenaea retusa

Host plant for butterflies and insects Pollinator favourite Shelter for wildlife Showy flowers Resilient garden plant

$7.00

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Plant profile

At a glance

The essentials for finding the right garden position.

Mature size: Height: 0.5–1.5 m · Width: 0.8–1.5 m
Light: Full sun, Part shade
Water: Moist
Soil: Loamy, Clay, Rocky
Drainage: Free-draining
Vegetation type: Dry Eucalypt, Wet Eucalypt
Plant lifespan: Perennial
Plant form: Shrubs

Plant ratings

A quick guide to this plant’s value for wildlife and the garden.

Bird food value
Host plant value
Pollinator value
Shelter & habitat value
Flower display
Garden resilience

About this plant

Notched bush-pea is an upright, compact shrub with narrow evergreen foliage and attractive bronze new growth. Dense clusters of yellow-orange pea flowers appear in spring and summer, followed by small pods. Use it as a small feature shrub, low informal hedge, rockery plant or part of a mixed native understorey.

Image credits:
Mature image: Greg Tasney via iNaturalist — CC BY-SA 4.0
Feature image: Steve Burrows via Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 3.0 AU

More plant details

Garden uses: Small shrub border, low informal hedge, rockery, habitat planting and mixed native understorey; especially suited to sites reflecting Dry Eucalypt and Wet Eucalypt.
Wildlife value: Pultenaea retusa provides a useful seasonal flower resource for native bees and other insects. It is not primarily selected for bird food, although birds may still forage or perch in it. Its compact shrub structure offers low shelter and protected movement through a layered native garden.
Flowering and fruiting: Yellow-orange pea flowers are followed by small pods on a low, dense shrub.
Growth habit: Upright, compact shrub; indicative mature size 0.5–1.5 m high × 0.8–1.5 m wide.
Cautions: Needs excellent drainage and low-phosphorus nutrition; avoid rich, wet beds.