Rhagodia spinescens Soft Touch

Common Name:
Soft Touch Saltbush

Description:
Rhagodia spinescens 'Soft Touch', commonly known as Soft Touch Saltbush, is a compact, evergreen shrub native to Australia. It features soft, silvery-grey foliage that provides a gentle, tactile appeal, distinguishing it from the typical spiny varieties. This dense shrub produces small, inconspicuous cream-colored flowers during the summer months, which are followed by fleshy red berries. Highly adaptable, it thrives in a variety of soil types, including sandy, clay, and loamy soils, and is both drought and frost tolerant. Its resilience makes it suitable for coastal areas and saline environments. Soft Touch Saltbush is ideal for use as ground cover, low hedging, or for erosion control on embankments. Its low-maintenance nature and attractive foliage make it a valuable addition to Australian gardens, particularly in regions like Melbourne.

Form:

• Shrub – Small
• Ground Cover

Mature Size:

• Height: 0.5–1.5 meters
• Width: 1.5–4 meters

Aspect:

• Full Sun
• Part Shade

Flowering:

• Flowers in Summer

Flower Colour:

• Cream

Key Attributes:

• Australian native
• Drought tolerant
• Frost tolerant
• Salt tolerant
• Suitable for coastal gardens
• Low maintenance
• Erosion control

Toxicity:

• No known toxicity to humans or animals.

Companion Plants:

• Westringia fruticosa (Coastal Rosemary)
• Correa alba (White Correa)
• Dianella revoluta (Spreading Flax Lily)
• Lomandra longifolia (Spiny-headed Mat-rush)
• Myoporum parvifolium (Creeping Boobialla)