Gastrolobium sericeum Lemon Drops

Common Name: Lemon Drops (Gastrolobium sericeum)

Description:
Lemon Drops is a charming, evergreen Australian native shrub prized for its vivid presentation of bright yellow, pea-shaped flowers in late winter through early spring. Its dense, rounded foliage of glossy green leaves complements the floral display and attracts nectar-feeding birds and insects. Ideal for Melbourne gardens, this plant thrives in full sun to part shade and adapts to sandy, loamy, or clay soils with excellent drainage. Once established, it becomes drought resistant and, while hardy to moderate frost, benefits from protection in severe cold. With a neat, compact habit and low-maintenance growth, Lemon Drops is perfect as an informal hedge, groundcover, or feature shrub in native-plant landscapes.

Form:

• Shrub – Small to Medium

• Ground Cover / Informal Hedge

Mature Size:

• Height: 0.5–1 m

• Width: 1–2 m

Aspect:

• Full Sun

• Part Shade

Flowering:

• Flowers in Winter

• Flowers in Spring

Flower Colour:

• Bright yellow pea-shaped blooms

Key Attributes:

• Evergreen

• Perennial

• Native Australian

• Bird Attracting

• Bee & Insect Attracting

• Drought Tolerant once established

• Frost Tolerant (moderate)

• Coastal Hardy

• Suitable for Low-Maintenance Gardens

• Suited to Feature Beds, Understorey, or Roadside Planting

Toxicity:

• Not known to be toxic to humans, pets, or livestock

Companion Plants:

• Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos spp.) – bold vertical flowers alongside low foliage

• Lomandra spp. – grassy texture and structural contrast

• Grevillea spp. – complementary foliage and bird-friendly blooms

• Hardenbergia violacea – provides purple seasonal colour