Eremophila glabra ‘Lime Gold’
At a Glance
Botanical name: Eremophila glabra ‘Lime Gold’
Height: Approximately 1.2 m
Width: Approximately 1.5 m
Habit: Vigorous, compact to rounded shrub
Flowers: Golden yellow
Flowering: Mainly winter and spring
Foliage: Lime green-grey, soft and velvet-like
Position: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Sand, loam, gravel and adequately drained clay
Water: Low once established
Drought: Highly tolerant once established
Frost: Tolerant once established
Heat: Highly tolerant
Pots: Suitable for large containers
Provenance: Coastal areas around Perth, Western Australia
Conservation: Cultivated selection; parent species not threatened
Eremophila glabra ‘Lime Gold’ is a beautiful and distinctive form of Common Emu Bush, combining soft, velvet-like lime green-grey foliage with masses of rich golden-yellow tubular flowers.
Growing to approximately 1.2 metres high and 1.5 metres wide, it forms a vigorous, rounded shrub that is large enough to make an impact but compact enough for mixed native borders, habitat gardens and large containers.
The foliage is one of the standout features of this plant. Rather than the glossy green leaves seen on some Eremophila glabra forms, ‘Lime Gold’ has softly textured, slightly furry foliage in a fresh lime green-grey colour. The leaves create year-round interest and provide an attractive backdrop for the bright golden flowers.
Flowering is strongest through winter and spring, when golden-yellow tubular flowers are produced amongst the foliage. The combination of soft grey-green leaves and warm yellow flowers makes ‘Lime Gold’ particularly effective in dry native gardens where foliage colour is just as important as flowers.
Once established, it is a hardy, low-maintenance shrub with excellent drought tolerance, useful frost tolerance and a strong response to pruning.
Why Grow Eremophila glabra ‘Lime Gold’?
• Distinctive golden-yellow tubular flowers.
• Soft, velvet-like lime green-grey foliage.
• Attractive throughout the year, even when not flowering.
• Grows to around 1.2 m high × 1.5 m wide.
• Strong flowering through winter and spring.
• Drought tolerant once established.
• Frost tolerant once established.
• Responds very well to pruning.
• Suitable for large pots and containers.
• Valuable nectar plant for birds and pollinating insects.
• Excellent colour contrast in mixed native gardens.
Flowers & Foliage
Flowers
The flowers are a rich golden yellow, tubular in shape and produced amongst the foliage.
Flowering is strongest during winter and spring, giving the garden a warm splash of colour through the cooler part of the year.
The golden flowers contrast particularly well with the plant’s subdued lime-grey foliage and are much richer in colour than the pale lime or yellow-green flowers found on some other Eremophila glabra forms.
Foliage
The foliage is lime green-grey with a soft, velvet-like texture.
Fine hairs over the leaf surface give the foliage its soft appearance and slightly muted colour. This is an important identifying and ornamental feature of ‘Lime Gold’.
The foliage remains attractive throughout the year and gives the plant a softer appearance than green, glossy-leaved forms of Eremophila glabra.
Wildlife Value
The tubular golden-yellow flowers provide nectar for honeyeaters and other nectar-feeding birds, as well as native bees and other pollinating insects.
Its winter and spring flowering period is especially useful in a habitat garden because it helps provide nectar through a time of year when some summer-flowering species are dormant or between flowering periods.
For the strongest habitat value, combine ‘Lime Gold’ with plants of different heights, foliage densities and flowering seasons.
Best Position
Grow in full sun to part shade.
Full sun generally produces the strongest flowering and densest habit, although some protection from intense afternoon heat can be useful in particularly hot locations.
Suitable for:
• Mixed native borders
• Eremophila collections
• Habitat gardens
• Dry garden beds
• Verge plantings
• Repeated mass planting
• Large pots and containers
Soil & Water
Soil
Adaptable to a range of soils provided drainage is reasonable, including:
• Sand
• Sandy loam
• Loam
• Gravelly soils
• Clay soils with adequate drainage
The original form is associated with coastal areas around Perth, including Mandurah, Rockingham and City Beach.
Avoid permanently waterlogged ground.
Water
Water regularly during establishment.
Once established, Eremophila glabra ‘Lime Gold’ is highly drought tolerant and requires little supplementary watering.
During extended drought, occasional deep watering will help maintain foliage quality and encourage stronger flowering.
Frost, Heat & Drought Tolerance
Frost
Frost tolerant once established.
Young plants or very exposed new growth may be damaged by severe frost, but established plants are generally hardy and recover well.
Heat
Highly suited to hot Australian summers and exposed garden conditions once established.
Drought
Highly drought tolerant once established and an excellent choice for waterwise gardens.
Pruning
‘Lime Gold’ responds extremely well to pruning.
Tip-prune young plants to encourage a dense framework, then lightly prune after the main flowering period to maintain a compact, rounded shape.
Regular pruning also encourages fresh foliage, which is particularly attractive because of the plant’s soft velvet-like texture and lime green-grey colour.
Pot Suitability
Suitable for large pots and containers.
Its mature size of approximately 1.2 m high × 1.5 m wide makes it practical for container growing where there is enough room for the shrub to develop.
Use a free-draining native potting mix and a broad, stable container.
Plants in pots require more regular watering than those established in the ground, particularly during prolonged hot weather.
Garden Design Ideas
Use Eremophila glabra ‘Lime Gold’ as:
• A foliage feature in a dry native garden.
• A golden-flowering shrub for winter and spring colour.
• A contrasting plant beside purple, blue, red or deep pink flowers.
• A mid-sized shrub in mixed Eremophila plantings.
• A nectar plant in bird and pollinator gardens.
• A repeated border or informal low hedge.
• A specimen in a large container.
• A soft foliage contrast against darker green or glossy-leaved natives.
Provenance
Eremophila glabra ‘Lime Gold’ is a selected form of Eremophila glabra rather than a formally recognised botanical subspecies.
The form was sourced from coastal areas around Mandurah, Rockingham and City Beach near Perth in Western Australia.
It has subsequently become established in cultivation because of its distinctive soft foliage, golden-yellow flowers, compact growth and excellent drought tolerance.
Natural Range
The parent species Eremophila glabra has an exceptionally broad natural distribution across mainland Australia and occurs naturally in:
• Western Australia
• South Australia
• Northern Territory
• Queensland
• New South Wales
• Victoria
It is one of the most variable Eremophila species, with naturally occurring plants ranging from prostrate groundcovers to sizeable shrubs and displaying enormous variation in foliage texture and flower colour.
‘Lime Gold’ itself is a selected Western Australian form, so its provenance should not be confused with the entire natural distribution of the species.
Conservation Status
Eremophila glabra ‘Lime Gold’ is a cultivated selection and does not have a separate formal conservation listing.
The parent species Eremophila glabra is widespread across mainland Australia and is not considered threatened as a species.
Some individual subspecies and geographically restricted forms of Eremophila glabra have much more limited distributions and may carry separate conservation listings.
Sylvaterre Eremophila Range
Sylvaterre Native Nursery grows the largest and most diverse collection of Eremophila plants on the east coast of Australia, with more than 50 different species and forms available at different times of the year. From rare collector’s plants to hardy garden performers, our Eremophila range is ideal for drought-tolerant, bird-attracting, and habitat-focused native gardens.
Shipping Note
At Sylvaterre Native Nursery, every plant is treated with care and respect. Unlike many online nurseries that ship tubestock lying flat — often stacked on top of each other in standard Australia Post boxes — all Sylvaterre plants are shipped upright in custom-made cardboard plant boxes. This helps ensure they arrive healthy, happy, and ready to thrive in your garden or pots. See our shipping cartons in the image gallery.
