Correa Backhousiana x Reflexa 'Marian's Marvel'

Marian’s Marvel Correa / Native Fuchsia

Botanical Name: Correa backhousiana × reflexa ‘Marian’s Marvel’
Family: Rutaceae
Origin: Australia (hybrid selection of Tasmanian and Victorian species)
Plant Type: Evergreen shrub

Overview

A hardy and beautiful Australian native hybrid, Correa ‘Marian’s Marvel’ is renowned for its soft pink and green bell-shaped flowers and dense, grey-green foliage. It flowers from autumn through winter and into early spring, providing vital nectar for birds during the cooler months. Well suited to Adelaide and South Australian gardens, it tolerates heat, wind, and coastal exposure, thriving in free-draining soils and low-water landscapes. Its neat, bushy form makes it ideal for borders, native garden beds, or informal low hedges, where it adds both colour and resilience.

Key Features

• Mature Size: 1–1.5 m H × 1.5–2 m W (naturally rounded shrub)
• Growth Rate: 20-40 cm per year under good conditions
• Foliage: Small, rounded, grey-green leaves with a soft, slightly velvety texture; foliage lightly aromatic when crushed
• Flowers: Pendulous, tubular bells in soft pink blushed with green, appearing mainly from autumn to early spring
  
• Seasonal Interest: Long flowering season (autumn–spring); silvery foliage provides evergreen structure year-round
• Wildlife Value: A valuable nectar source for honeyeaters, native bees, and butterflies, especially during South Australia’s cooler months; dense habit provides refuge for small birds
• Tolerance: Excellent drought, heat, and wind tolerance once established; Coastal and second-line coastal tolerant (suitable for sheltered coastal gardens); Light frost hardy; recovers quickly from mild exposure; Prefers well-drained soils; avoid prolonged waterlogging or clay compaction
• Planting Density: Low hedge or screen: 1 per metre; Mass planting: 1–1.2 m apart for even coverage; Feature or mixed border: 1.5–2 m spacing
• Pet Friendly: Non-toxic to cats and dogs; safe for family gardens

Where It Works Best

• Sunlight: Full sun to part shade; flowers most heavily in full sun, but tolerates light shade
• Soil: Well-drained sandy, loamy, or gravelly soils; tolerates mildly alkaline coastal sands and clay-loam if drainage is good
• Water Needs: Establishment: 2 deep soaks/week for 8–10 weeks. Established: deep soak every 2–3 weeks in summer (weekly in heatwaves); minimal watering in winter
• Maintenance: Very low-maintenance. Lightly prune after flowering to maintain a compact shape and encourage fresh growth. Avoid heavy pruning into old wood. Mulch annually in spring and feed with a low-phosphorus native fertiliser if growth slows
• Lifespan: 15–25+ years in suitable, well-drained conditions
• Climate Zones: Perfect for Mediterranean and temperate South Australian climates, including Adelaide plains, coastal areas, Adelaide Hills foothills, Fleurieu Peninsula, and Yorke Peninsula
• Soil pH: Adaptable to slightly acidic to mildly alkaline soils, provided drainage is free

Landscape & Design Ideas

• Low native hedging or informal screening
• Mass plantings for colour and wildlife value in low-water gardens
• Feature shrub in coastal or native designs
• Pairs beautifully with Westringia, Grevillea ‘Scarlet Sprite’, Eremophila, and Lomandra for soft, layered texture
• Great near patios, paths, or alfresco areas where flowers can be admired up close

Why You Will Love It

A long-flowering, soft-hued native that thrives in Adelaide’s dry summers and mild winters, Correa ‘Marian’s Marvel’ combines delicate beauty with tough resilience. Its soft pink-green bells brighten winter gardens while attracting local birdlife — a perfect choice for low-maintenance, waterwise, and coastal South Australian landscapes.