We live in Wellington, this shrub is about 6ft tall and has been blooming since end of July. Anyone know what it is? Is it native? Thanks!
I think its a species of Correa (Australian genus). I will get back to you on this one
Best I can do is suggest you have a cultivar of Correa lawrenceana (Rutaceae) - pretty confident of the genus and also this species - which is very popular in cultivation but has been 'selected' for and much hybridized by horticulturists. You could try working it using the following website of sending an image to the staff who run that website (New South Wales State Herbarium). Dr Peter Wilson is very helpful. http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/ New Zealand has only the one species (C. alba) recorded as naturalized and that is (obviously considering the epithet) very different, having white flowers for a start
Thanks for the info Peter. I've sent an email through that website as you suggested.
The RBG Sydney has identifed it as "Jacobinia pauciflora - a Brazilian shrub in the Acanthus family, Acanthaceae. It has had many name changes including Jacobinia rizzinii, Libonia floribunda as well as Justicia floribunda" Thanks for you help!
Well there you go. I got that one quite wrong. Glad you got a name on it though and as a bonus I have learned a new one as well. Cheers
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