Pink Mulla Mulla Ptilotus ‘Joey’

There are many dozens of this plant still available at half-price on Sunday: if it had been blooming during the sale, it would have sold out the first day!

A completely new genus for U.S. gardens straight from central Australia, Ptilotus is pronounced “ty-LOH-tus” (from the Greek “ptilon” for feather.) Other common names are Lamb’s Tail, Pussy Tails, and Showy Foxtail.

Many chubby 4″ fuzzy bottlebrush flower spikes glisten silver and neon pink. The silver-green leaves are paddle-shaped and succulent-looking. You could guess from its Aussie origin that ‘Joey’ is heat and drought tolerant, and that it wants excellent drainage, such as a loose potting soil.

Last summer, Henry planted ‘Joey’ in our State Fair garden next to Aeonium ‘Zwartkop,’ Helenium ‘Dakota Gold, and Alternanthera ‘Red Threads’ and reports that Fairgoers could not resist petting the feathery flowers.

We hope to see more Ptilotus varieties become available in the future: there is one now on the internet called ‘Platinum Wallaby.’

12-15″ sun (A454, page 41)