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Buffalo Mintbush

Prostanthera monticola

Buffalo Mintbush
Photo: Unknown author, CC BY 2.0

Buffalo mint-bush is a sprawling, open shrub native to high-altitude forests of south-eastern Australia, growing on granitic soils. It is best grown in a cool, free-draining, lightly shaded spot that suits its mountain origins.

Family
Lamiaceae (Mint family)
Grows as
Shrub
Light
Part shade
Water
Water regularly in dry spells while establishing, then let the top of the soil dry slightly between waterings.
Soil
Well-drained, slightly acidic to neutral soil, ideally sandy or gritty.
Temperature
Tolerates cool conditions and frost; avoid prolonged heat above 30 °C.
How easy
Moderate
Native range
SE. Australia
Climate
subtropical

About

Prostanthera monticola, commonly known as Buffalo mint-bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to higher areas of south-eastern Australia. It is a sprawling, open shrub with red, hairy branches, lance-shaped to narrow elliptic leaves and pale bluish-green to grey-green flowers with dark purple-blue veins.

Where it grows

Buffalo mint-bush occurs on granitic soils in forests from Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales southwards to north-east Victoria in the Mount Buffalo National Park at altitudes of 530–1,850 m (1,740–6,070 ft). Associated tree species include Eucalyptus delegatensis, E. pauciflora and E. stellulata.

Other Prostanthera plants

Prostanthera albiflora · Prostanthera albohirta · Prostanthera althoferi · Sand Mintbush · Prostanthera arapilensis · Tranquility Mintbush · Scarlet Mintbush · Prostanthera athertoniana · Prostanthera baxteri · Downy Mintbush · Lilac Mint Bush · Limestone Mintbush

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Prostanthera monticola by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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