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Templetonia retusa (Coral Bush) – A dense rounded shrub to 6 feet tall and wide with 1 to 1 1/2-inch-long oblong gray-green leaves with a blunt tip. In winter into spring appear the 1 1/2-inch-long rich red colored pea flowers at the branch tips with the wings and keel petals held upright and the large standard flared downwards. The flowers are followed in late summer by flattened dark brown pea pods.
Plant in full sun to partial shade in a well-drained soil. Cold hardy to temperatures down to 20-22 °F. It tolerates both alkaline soil and wind and salty coastal conditions. An interesting, durable and attractive shrub that should be planted more often.
Coral Bush comes from areas with limestone soils and is generally tolerant of higher pH soils than many Australian plants and it also is resistant to salt spray near the beach. Prune or shear lightly after flowering to promote a more compact growth habit. An attractive and hardy plant in the California Garden. It is found growing naturally in coastal woodlands in South Australia and Western Australia. The name for the genus honors John Templeton (1766–1825), who is often referred to as the "Father of Irish Botany". The specific epithet is from the Latin word 'retusus' which means "dull" or "blunt" in reference to the blunt and often notched tips of the leaves. Other common names include "Cockies Tongues" and "Cocky's Tongues" though this reference is lost on us. Cocky was a somewhat derogatory slang name for a farmer that was an abbreviation of "cockatoo farmer". We first saw this plant growing at < href=https://www.seaside-gardens.com target="_blank">Seaside Gardens in Carpinteria, California in the the Australian plant garden at this nursery that was designed and installed by Jo O'Connell of < href=https://www.australianplants.com target="_blank">Australian Native Plant Nursery.
The information displayed on this page about Templetonia retusa is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We 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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