Eremophila maculata Aurea

Eremophila maculata 'Aurea' is a horticultural variety with yellow flowers derived from a small Australian bush with the curious vernacular name of Emu Bush. Its evergreen foliage is decorative throughout the year, with a beautiful light green colour that is slightly shiny. In March, numerous greenish-yellow flower buds appear, which turn bright yellow before blooming into tubular flowers, lasting until the end of spring. Smaller than the species, it forms a compact bush that can be easily grown in pots outside the Mediterranean coast. It is a very good plant for coastal gardens where temperatures do not drop below -5°C (23 °F) and where the sun shines generously.

Eremophila maculata is a bush from the Scrophulariaceae family (formerly classified in the Myoporaceae family). The genus is relatively unknown, although it includes more than 200 species! Eremophilas are bushes native to Australian regions with mild winters but hot and arid summers. This species, E. maculata, is the most common in nature and one of the most cultivated in gardens. It is found in Western and Southern Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. It is a spreading bush, wider than it is tall and densely branched, reaching up to 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) in height in its native region.
'Aurea' is a horticultural variety of uncertain origin but relatively old, as it was already listed in a nursery catalogue in 1956. It has a slightly different habit than the species, being more upright and therefore slightly taller than wide. Its dimensions are also smaller, usually reaching 1 m (3 ft 4 in) in height and only 60 to 90 cm (23.6 to 35.4 in) in spread. The foliage consists of small, smooth, lanceolate leaves, about 3 cm (1.2 in) long and a few millimetres wide. Arranged alternately along the flexible branches, they are a beautiful light green colour and slightly shiny. These evergreen leaves are decorative throughout the year and provide a beautiful backdrop for the flowers. In March greenish-yellow flower buds form, which then turn yellow before blooming. Solitary tubular flowers, 4 cm (1.6 in) long, with 5 unequal lobes, appear at the axils of the leaves. Each flower is carried by an S-shaped petiole. The interior of the corolla is hairy, with 4 long stamens. These highly luminous golden yellow flowers are produced profusely and succeed one another almost continuously until June. After pollination, small dry woody fruits with a beak form, difficult to spot in the vegetation. Eremophila seeds are very difficult to germinate as their dormancy requires specific conditions.
A sun-loving bush that can tolerate partial shade in the afternoon in very hot climates, it grows in neutral to slightly alkaline soil, occasionally moist but always well-drained. It tolerates drought and sandy soils, making it an ideal plant for the Mediterranean coast. It is hardy only down to -5°C (23 °F) when mature and should thrive in gardens in the sunniest possible location.

This Eremophila maculata 'Aurea', with its vibrant and long-lasting flowering, will be perfect in a bed alongside other sun-loving plants. Polygala myrtifolia, with its long flowering period from May to October in the form of pinkish-violet pea-like flowers, will create a strong contrast with the yellow of the Eremophila in spring, extending the spectacle until autumn. Lantana Chapel Hill Gold will display its umbels of golden yellow flowers at the same time, guaranteeing flowers throughout the summer. To vary the colours, a plant of Salvia leucantha, a magnificent sage with long gracefully arching spikes formed by a multitude of bicoloured flowers, purple and white, will complete this display.

The genus name Eremophila comes from the Greek words eremos (desert) and phileo (to love). It perfectly defines this group of bushes that are mainly found in desert regions.