Actinotus minor [Apiaceae]; Lesser Flannel Flower
Part of the reason I started putting up plant profiles on the website was due to the lack of anyone being able to answer clearly: “why isn’t this plant available?” or “why doesn’t this plant grow? Actinotus minor is a key example. A nightmare to propagate is what I had heard… but what happens when it is in fact propagated? Is it boom and bust, short lived like its sister Actinotus heliathi? In nature it’s much more stable… Does it grow at all? It is one of the most delicately beautiful species of the Sydney Basin: exquisite, ethereal, celestial. Therefore, these are questions whose answers are in the public interest.
Finally after seven years of looking, I heard that Sutherland Shire Council Nursery had some. We planted some in crushed sandstone in Freshwater. Some in sandly loam in Canberra, some stayed in pots in the Illawarra. Six months later, all but one is dead, a single greenish twig in the first location. I wouldn’t put money on it being there in another six.
Before giving up I would try again, this time with less water, more sand, and no mulch. Please me know if you’ve had any luck anywhere.
Don’t give up!
–– Rob
