Eremophila macdonnellii – Procumbent Form is a hardy, low-growing form of one of Australia’s most beautiful inland emu bushes. With its soft grey-green foliage, spreading habit, and showy lilac to purple tubular flowers, it makes an excellent groundcover for dry native gardens, rockeries, embankments, retaining walls, and containers.

This procumbent form grows much lower than the typical upright species, generally reaching around 20–40 cm high and spreading 1–2 m wide. Its naturally trailing habit makes it especially useful for spilling over rocks, covering bare ground, or softening hard garden edges.

Eremophila macdonnellii is native to arid and semi-arid inland Australia, where it grows in exposed, dry conditions. This makes the procumbent form particularly valuable for waterwise gardens, semi-arid landscapes, and low-maintenance plantings. Once established, it is both highly drought tolerant and frost tolerant, while still producing a rewarding display of flowers through the warmer months.

Flowers

• Showy tubular flowers in shades of lilac, mauve, violet, or purple.
• Flowers are often produced over an extended period, especially after rainfall or watering.
• Blooms are nectar-rich and attractive to honeyeaters, native bees, and other pollinators.
• The flower colour contrasts beautifully with the grey-green foliage.

Foliage

• Soft grey-green to silvery foliage.
• Low, spreading, procumbent habit.
• Excellent for creating a dense, drought-hardy ground layer.
• Provides year-round texture and colour contrast in native gardens.

Cultivation

Soil:

Requires excellent drainage. Best in sandy, gravelly, loamy, or rocky soils. In heavier soils, plant on a mound or raised bed to prevent waterlogging.

Sunlight:

Best grown in full sun. It will tolerate very light shade, but flowering and density are best in open sunny positions.

Watering:

Water regularly while establishing. Once established, it is highly drought tolerant and needs very little supplementary water. Occasional deep watering during extended dry periods may encourage extra flowering.

Frost tolerance:

Frost tolerant once established and well suited to inland gardens.

Drought tolerance:

Very drought tolerant once established, making it ideal for low-rainfall and waterwise landscapes.

Pruning:

Tip-prune lightly after flowering to maintain density and encourage fresh growth. Trim wandering stems if required to keep the plant within bounds.

Fertiliser:

Use a low-phosphorus native fertiliser sparingly in spring if needed. Avoid overfeeding and avoid wet, humid conditions.

Uses

• Hardy native groundcover for dry gardens.
• Excellent for rockeries, embankments, and retaining walls.
• Suitable for pots, large containers, and hanging baskets.
• Useful for semi-arid, inland, and waterwise landscapes.
• Good companion plant for other low-growing Eremophila, Scaevola, Maireana, Rhagodia, and drought-hardy native grasses.
• Provides soft grey foliage contrast and seasonal flower colour.

Habitat Value

Eremophila macdonnellii – Procumbent Form is a valuable plant for habitat gardens in dry climates. Its tubular flowers provide nectar for honeyeaters, native bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects, while the dense low foliage offers shelter for ground-dwelling invertebrates and small reptiles.

As a hardy, low-growing shrub, it helps create a protective ground layer beneath taller native shrubs and trees. In semi-arid habitat plantings, it contributes both nectar resources and structural diversity, supporting a more resilient garden ecosystem.

Growing Tips

Plant in a sunny, very well-drained position. This plant dislikes wet feet, so avoid heavy or poorly drained soils unless planting on a mound or in a raised bed.

Water through the first summer to establish a strong root system, then reduce watering significantly. In pots, use a free-draining native potting mix and avoid saucers that hold water.

A light trim after flowering will help maintain a neat, dense habit and encourage more branching. This form is especially effective when allowed to spill naturally over rocks, wall edges, or container rims.

Conservation & Distribution Note

Eremophila macdonnellii is an inland Australian species associated with arid and semi-arid regions. Its natural resilience to drought, heat, and exposed conditions makes it an excellent choice for gardens seeking plants adapted to Australia’s dry interior.

The procumbent form is particularly useful in cultivation because it offers the beauty and toughness of the species in a lower, groundcovering habit suited to smaller gardens and designed landscapes.