About

Persoonia linearis, commonly known as the narrow-leaved geebung, is a shrub native to New South Wales and Victoria in eastern Australia. It reaches 3 m (9.8 ft), or occasionally 5 m (16 ft), in height and has thick, dark grey papery bark. The leaves are, as the species name suggests, more or less linear in shape, and are up to 9 cm (3.5 in) long, and 0.1 to 0.7 cm (0.039 to 0.276 in) wide. The small yellow flowers appear in summer, autumn and early winter (December to July), followed by small green fleshy fruit known as drupes. Within the genus Persoonia, it is a member of the Lanceolata group of 58 closely related species. P. linearis interbreeds with several other species where they grow together.

Found in dry sclerophyll forest on sandstone-based nutrient-deficient soils, P.

How to grow it

Persoonia linearis is useful as a hedging plant and responds well to pruning. Its foliage has been used in floral arrangements, and its colourful bark is a horticultural feature. It is a fairly easy plant to grow in gardens, but is rarely seen due to difficulties in propagation. Germination from seed is low, and can take many months. Once established it can tolerate extended dry periods and is hardy to frosts. Optimum growing conditions are part shade and a well-drained acid soil, though P. linearis grows readily in full sun. Persoonias in general are sensitive to excessive phosphorus, and grow without fertiliser or with low-phosphorus slow-release formulations. They can also become deficient in iron and manganese. First cultivated in England in 1794 from seed, it was also reportedly propagated from cuttings; Andrews described it as a "handsome greenhouse plant, continuing to flower through the autumnal months and producing good seeds." Joseph Knight reported that cuttings would be successful as long as material was "judiciously chosen", and that plants had set seed on occasion.

Where it grows

One of the most common geebungs, Persoonia linearis is found from the Macleay River catchment on the New South Wales Mid North Coast to the Tambo River in eastern Victoria. It is found from sea level to altitudes of 1,000 m (3,300 ft) with an average yearly rainfall of 700 to 1,400 mm (28 to 55 in). It is a component of dry sclerophyll forest on both sandstone and clay soils. It grows in sunny to lightly shaded areas in open forest or woodland with a shrubby understory. In the Sydney Basin, it is associated with such trees as Sydney peppermint (Eucalyptus piperita), silvertop ash (E. sieberi), blue-leaved stringybark (E. agglomerata), blackbutt (E. pilularis), grey ironbark (E. paniculata), snappy gum (E. rossii), Sydney blue gum (E. saligna), narrow-leaved stringybark (E. sparsifolia) and smooth-barked apple (Angophora costata) and shrubs such as Grevillea obtusiflora, G. phylicoides, Kowmung hakea (Hakea dohertyi), long leaf smoke bush (Conospermum longifolium) and stiff geebung (Persoonia rigida).

Other Persoonia plants

Needle Geebung · Persoonia acicularis · Persoonia acuminata · Persoonia adenantha · Persoonia amaliae · Persoonia angustiflora · The Tree Geebung · Geebung · Persoonia baeckeoides · Bargo Geebung · Persoonia biglandulosa · Persoonia bowgada