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Boronia crenulata 'Shark Bay' (Shark Bay Aniseed Boronia) - A dense, dwarf shrub to 2 to 3 feet tall by 3 to 4 feet wide with small, aromatic green leaves. Dainty pink flowers bloom year- round, with heaviest bloom late winter to spring into summer.
Prefers sun or part shade in a sheltered spot in a well-drained soil that does not dry out completely. Hardy to 20-25° F. Prune lightly after flowering if needed. This plant is well adapted to cultivation, even in clay soils so long as it can drain and is a good choice for containers. It always looks good, blooms its head off, is attractive to bees, butterflies, other insects and, unlike most other Boronia, isn't that touchy to grow, is marginally frost hardy and does well in the relatively moist soil often found in garden conditions.
The species Boronia crenulata comes from the south-west of Western Australia from the Esperance Plains to the Swan Coastal Plains where it can be found growing in a wide range of soils from clays to sands and even gravels. The selection from Shark Bay north of Geraldton is sometimes considered a subspecies. The name for the genus honors the Italian Botanist Francesco Borone (1769-94). The specific epithet is from the Latin word 'crena' meaning "notch" or "tooth" with the diminutive ending in reference to the tiny teeth along the leaf margin.
Boronia crenulata 'Shark Bay' was first accessioned by the University of California Santa Cruz Arboretum in 1992 but was released by them prior to the formation of their Koala Blooms Australian Plant Introduction program. We aquired this plant in 1998 from Monterey Bay Nursery and have continually grown this very fine plant since 1999.
Information displayed on this page about Boronia crenulata 'Shark Bay' is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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