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Pultenaea villosa – HAIRY PEA BUSH
Pultenaea (pronounced pul-tah-NEE-ah) named after English botanist and surgeon Richard Pulteney villosa (vill-OSE-ah) – meaning soft haired
In a garden setting, Hairy Bush Pea is a shrub 1-2m that can grow in full or filtered sun. They have yellow/orange pea flowers (sometimes with red markings) from winter to early summer. Pultenaea villosa are known to attract butterflies, bees and small birds. They make an excellent “fill in” species for bush gardens and add a splash of spring colour, looking especially effective when planted with Hovea acutifolia/Purple pea bush which flowers around the same time.
In their natural habitat, Pultenaea villosa live in a variety of sandy soils, from deep sandy edges of sand blows to sandy forest understories. They have a lifespan of 6-8 years and are therefore used as an indicator that an area may need a controlled burn off.
Information provided by Coolum Community Native Nursery