Plant of the month

Botanical Name: Woollsia pungens 

Common Name: Snow Wreath 

Family: Epacridaceae

Meaning:

Woollsia: Named after Reverend William Woolls, a friend of botanist Ferdinand von Mueller. 

pungens: From Latin, meaning sharp point, referring to the leaves.

Habitat: Heath and dry, open forest on sandstone.

Habit: Open shrub, usually 1m tall, can be up to 2m. Only 30 – 50cm wide.

Leaves: Crowded up to 12mm long, with a sharp point.

Flowers: White, sometimes pink or purplish, fragrant. Slightly wrinkled petals. Attracts bees and other insects, as well as insect-eating birds. 

Flowering time: May – September.

Range: NSW coast and Queensland. Fairly common in The Hills Shire.