About Prostanthera aspalathoides A.Cunn. ex Benth.
Prostanthera aspalathoides A.Cunn. ex Benth. is a compact, upright shrub that typically grows 0.3 to 1 meter (1 foot 0 inches to 3 feet 3 inches) tall. It has densely hairy, glandular branchlets. Its aromatic leaves range in shape from cylindrical to linear-elliptic, are 1.5–6 mm (0.059–0.236 inches) long and 0.5–1 mm (0.020–0.039 inches) wide. Leaves are either sessile or borne on a petiole up to 0.5 mm (0.020 inches) long. Flowers grow singly in leaf axils, with 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 inches) long bracteoles at their base. Sepals are 5–7 mm (0.20–0.28 inches) long and joined at the base to form a tube 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 inches) long. Petals are 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 inches) long and form a tube that is most commonly red, pinkish red, or orange, and rarely yellow; this tube measures 8–11 mm (0.31–0.43 inches) long. Flowering occurs mainly in spring, though flowers can be present in most months of the year. This species, commonly called scarlet mint bush, grows in mallee habitat. It is distributed across New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. In New South Wales, it occurs west of the Rankins Springs district; it is found in the northern half of Victoria, and in south-eastern South Australia, including the Yorke Peninsula, Eyre Peninsula, and Kangaroo Island. In horticulture, Prostanthera aspalathoides grows best when cultivated in dry conditions with low humidity. Plants prefer a location in full sun or partial shade with good drainage, and can tolerate moderate frost. Cuttings are the preferred propagation method, because seed germinates slowly. Plants may also be grafted onto rootstocks of the hardier species Prostanthera nivea.
