Persoonia laurina Pers.

Growth Habit

Persoonia laurina grows as an upright or sprawling shrub, reaching 0.2 to 2 metres (7+3⁄4 inches to 6 feet 6+3⁄4 inches) in height. Its new growth is covered in dense grey to rusty-brown hairs.

Flowering Period

Flowering occurs between November and January.

Seedling Characteristics

Unlike most other members of the Persoonia genus, seedlings of this species produce only two cotyledon leaves.

Post-Fire Regeneration

All three subspecies of Persoonia laurina resprout from a woody lignotuber after bushfire.

Lifespan

Subspecies laurina has an estimated lifespan of 50 to 100 years.

Traditional Use of Bark

Aboriginal people traditionally used the bark of this plant to soak fishing lines and toughen them.

Traditional Food Use

Indigenous people living on the Beecroft Peninsula ate its drupes, though they did not value these drupes as highly as the drupes of Persoonia lanceolata.

Horticultural Potential

Persoonia laurina is an attractive plant with horticultural potential.

Cultivation Requirements

Successful cultivation is most likely to require well-drained soil, a position in full sun or dappled shade, and acidic soil. It is hardy to frosts.

Cultivated Plant Lifespan

However, cultivated plants tend to be short-lived: plants grown at Mount Annan Botanic Gardens survived for a maximum of six years after being planted out.

Propagation Methods

This species is difficult to propagate from seed, but can be propagated more easily from cuttings taken from new growth.