Bursaria spinosa
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Sweet Bursaria / Blackthorn / Boxthorn
Botanical Name: Bursaria spinosa
Family: Pittosporaceae
Origin: Eastern & Southern Australia (including South Australia)
Plant Type: Evergreen to semi-evergreen native shrub or small tree
Overview
Bursaria spinosa is a tough, highly adaptable Australian native shrub prized for its fine foliage, dense branching and masses of small, fragrant white flowers. Perfectly suited to Adelaide and South Australian conditions, it thrives in a wide range of soils and is exceptionally resilient to heat, wind and drought once established.
Flowering from late spring through summer, Bursaria spinosa becomes covered in delicate white blooms with a sweet honey-like fragrance, making it a standout wildlife plant. Naturally variable in form, it can be grown as a large shrub, informal hedge or small tree depending on pruning.
Key Features
- Mature Size: Shrub form: 2–4 m H × 2–4 m W; Small tree form: up to 6 m H with pruning
- Growth Rate: 30-60 cm per year under good conditions
- Foliage: Small, glossy deep-green leaves; evergreen to semi-evergreen depending on climate
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Flowers: Masses of small white star-shaped flowers in clusters; late spring–summer
- Fragrance: Yes — flowers are strongly fragrant with a sweet scent
- Seasonal Interest: Evergreen structure with prolific, fragrant summer flowering
- Wildlife Value: Extremely high — attracts native bees, butterflies and insects, and is a key larval food plant for several butterfly species
- Tolerance: Excellent drought tolerance once established; Excellent heat tolerance; High wind tolerance; Moderate coastal tolerance (handles salt-laden winds once established); Frost tolerant
- Planting Density: Informal hedge/screen: space 1–1.5 m apart; Feature shrub: allow 2–4 m spacing
- Pet Friendly: Generally regarded as non-toxic
Where It Works Best
- Sunlight: Full sun to light part shade (best flowering in full sun)
- Soil: Highly adaptable — performs in sandy, loam and clay soils, including limestone-based SA soils
- Water Needs: Establishment: 2 deep soaks/week for 8–12 weeks. Established: Very low water needs; occasional deep watering during extended dry periods
- Maintenance: Low maintenance; Responds well to pruning for hedging or shaping; Prune after flowering if required; No fertiliser required; native fertiliser optional
- Lifespan: Long-lived native shrub/tree; commonly 30–50+ years
- Climate Zones: Ideal for temperate and Mediterranean South Australia, including Adelaide Plains, Hills, coastal and regional areas
- Soil pH: Broadly tolerant — acid, neutral or alkaline soils
Landscape & Design Ideas
- Informal hedging and screening
- Feature shrub or small tree in native gardens
- Wildlife corridors and habitat gardens
- Windbreaks and boundary planting
- Excellent companion to Eremophila, Correa, Westringia, Lomandra, Callistemon
Why You Will Love It
Bursaria spinosa is a true Australian workhorse — tough, adaptable and incredibly wildlife-friendly. With its fragrant summer flowers, strong structure and ability to handle Adelaide’s harsh conditions, it delivers long-term performance with minimal care.