Menu
Eremophila ‘Thundercloud’ is a small to medium shrub that in our cold climate garden reaches a height of 1.5 metres with a simialr spread.
Eremophila ‘Thundercloud’ is one of the many cultivars of Eremophila maculata. It has been available, from nurseries, since about 2010.
Eremophila spp. mostly have simple and alternate leaves (sometimes opposite or whorled). In this cultivar, the leaves are dark green, about 40 mm long, to 8 mm wide, with a succulent feel and slightly aromatic, mid to light green in colour.
Eremophila spp. have 5-merous flowers with the 5 petals usually fused into a tube (tubulate to campanulate) with 5 petal-lobes (often described as 2-lipped with 3 upper lobes and 2 lower), occurring in small-numbered clusters per leaf axil. Flowers are often curved. In this cultivar, the large purple flowers have the typical tubular shape, to about 35 mm long, produced solitarily in leaf axils, full of nectar and appear from late autumn to early summer. The foliage provides a contrast with the eye-catching flowers.
Author’s notes:
A hardy and attractive shrub. Tip pruning will keep plants dense and blooming bounteously. There is some evidence that very hard pruning will revitalise plants but this could be a bit of a gamble and a severely pruned specimen may expire. Plant in a well-drained soil in full sun to some shade.
We are heartened to see the proliferation of Eremophila species, hybrids and cultivars that are appearing in nurseries.
All cultivars must be propagated from cuttings to maintain ‘true-to-type’ forms.
Eremophila can regenerate from the seedbank after fire with some plants able to reshoot from stem buds as well as sucker from basal areas.
Eremophila is a substantial Australian genus of around 220 species with, likely, many undescribed species. Most species are found in Western Australia and other Australian arid zones. They occur in all states except Tasmania. NSW currently has 21 species with some subspecies taxa.
See our 2023 study group article on this genus: https://resources.austplants.com.au/stories/why-do-eremophila-have-resin/
Eremophila – from Greek Erimos (ερημος) meaning “desert” and –philos (φίλος) referring to “friend” or “beloved” – referring to the mostly desert habitats of these plants.
‘Thundercloud’ – meaning for name is unknown – perhaps simply an effective marketing name.
Most online references for this cultivar are retail nurseries – we try not to promote any nursery over any other here on this database.