Eremophila polyclada  Twiggy Emu Bush, also known as Flowering Lignum, is one of the toughest and most adaptable of the Eremophilas. Naturally occurring through inland eastern Australia, it is a hardy, fast-growing shrub with a graceful, open habit, slender arching branches, and masses of tubular white to pale lilac flowers, often beautifully spotted inside the throat.

Growing to around 2–4 m high and wide, this species is ideal for difficult garden positions where many shrubs struggle. It tolerates drought, frost, alkaline soils, heavier clay soils, and occasional wet conditions, making it particularly useful for inland, semi-arid, low-maintenance, and habitat-focused gardens.

Its fine, twiggy growth gives the shrub a soft texture and excellent movement in the landscape. With pruning, it can be shaped into a screen, informal hedge, windbreak, or small feature tree. When in flower, it becomes a valuable nectar source for birds and insects, and its dense branching provides shelter for small wildlife.

Flowers

• Tubular white to pale lilac flowers, often with lilac or purple spotting inside the throat.
• Flowering is often strongest in spring and summer, with additional flowers possible after rain or watering.
• Nectar-rich blooms attract honeyeaters, native bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.
• One of the more delicately coloured Eremophilas, with flowers contrasting beautifully against its fine green foliage.

Foliage

• Narrow, light green to grey-green leaves on fine, twiggy branches.
• Open, arching growth habit gives a soft, weeping effect.
• Dense enough when pruned to form a useful screen or wildlife shelter.
• Attractive year-round as a structural shrub in dry gardens.

Cultivation

Soil:

Very adaptable. Grows in sandy, loamy, gravelly, clay, alkaline, and heavier soils, provided the plant is not permanently waterlogged. It is one of the more useful Eremophilas for challenging soil types.

Sunlight:

Best grown in full sun, though it will tolerate light shade. Full sun encourages stronger flowering and denser growth.

Watering:

Water regularly while establishing. Once established, it is highly drought tolerant and needs little supplementary water. Occasional deep watering during long dry periods can improve flowering and growth.

Frost tolerance:

Frost tolerant once established and suitable for inland gardens.

Drought tolerance:

Very drought tolerant once established, making it ideal for semi-arid and waterwise landscapes.

Pruning:

Responds well to pruning. Prune after flowering or tip-prune regularly to encourage density, maintain shape, and reduce legginess. It can be trained as a hedge, screen, large shrub, or small tree.

Fertiliser:

Use a low-phosphorus native fertiliser sparingly in spring if required. Avoid rich fertilisers and excessive watering.

Uses

• Hardy feature shrub for dry native gardens and inland landscapes.
• Excellent as an informal screen, hedge, windbreak, or shelter shrub.
• Useful for difficult soils, including clay and alkaline conditions.
• Suitable for large pots or containers when young, though best long-term in the ground.
• Valuable in habitat gardens, revegetation plantings, and wildlife corridors.
• Can be pruned into a small tree or left to develop its natural spreading form.

Habitat Value

Eremophila polyclada is an excellent wildlife plant. Its tubular flowers provide nectar for honeyeaters, native bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects, while the fine, twiggy branching creates shelter for small birds and invertebrates.

Because it tolerates drought, frost, difficult soils, and variable seasonal moisture, it is especially useful in resilient habitat gardens where reliable structure and food resources are needed. Planted with other dryland shrubs, grasses, and groundcovers, it contributes to a layered, wildlife-friendly planting that can support fauna through tough seasons.

Growing Tips

Plant in a sunny, open position where it has room to spread. Although adaptable to many soils, young plants will establish best if watered regularly through their first summer. Once established, reduce watering and allow the plant to harden to local conditions.

For a dense screen or hedge, begin tip-pruning while young. For a more natural form, allow the branches to arch and spread, pruning only to remove untidy growth or maintain access.

In large pots, use a free-draining native potting mix and prune regularly to keep the plant compact. Long-term, this species performs best in the ground where its root system can fully develop.

Conservation & Distribution Note

Eremophila polyclada is a widespread inland Australian species, commonly associated with dry woodland, floodplain, and semi-arid environments. Its natural toughness and adaptability make it one of the most useful Eremophilas for difficult garden conditions, especially where drought tolerance, frost tolerance, and resilience are important. It is listed as RARE in the Lake Eyre region  of South Australia and ENDANGERED in the Murray region.

It is also a valuable parent in cultivation, contributing vigour and toughness to hybrid forms such as Eremophila bignoniiflora × polyclada, often grown as larger screening shrubs.