Narrow-leaved drumsticks is a shrub that’s native to sandstone areas of the Sydney region and the southern New South Wales coast and ranges. Its native habitat is sheltered dry schlerophyll forest, in heathland and shrub land. This very pretty shrub, can reach up to three metres tall. A member of the Proteaceae family. The binomial name comes from Latin and Greek words:

• Isopogon is from two Greek words, Isos which means ‘equal’ and pogon which means ‘beard’, referring to the fact that the fruit can be hairy.
• Anethifolius is from two Latin words, anthium which is the gnus name for dill and folium for leaf as the plant has leaves like those of dill.

The leaves are up to five centimetres long with cylindrical segments that can be up three centimetres long. Stems can be reddish in colour.

The flowers are yellow in colour. They appear in a globular mass, each individual flower being up to 5mm in diameter. There can be up to 100 flowers per flower-head. Flowers appear in spring.

The flowers are followed by fruiting cones, up to 25mm in diameter, with individual nuts are 2-3mm in length.

It has been grown in gardens for a long time, growing best in sandy soil and dappled shade. If using fertiliser, use a low phosphorous fertiliser (as Proteaceae family plants have evolved to grow in phosphorous soils, of which Australia has many) in spring. The flowers are great for using as cut flowers in vases.

Propagation is through seed or cuttings. If using seed, they are best sown in spring or autumn. It may be helpful to use smoke water as seedlings normally appear after a fire (the plants themselves re-sprout after fire from a lignotuber).

Narrow-leaved drumsticks is a rather nice and delicate looking plant that is tougher than the looks will suggest (it is an Australian plant after all). I would happily have one in my garden if I have the space, but I am more than happy to go and visit the national park to see it, especially when it flowers.