Pimelea ligustrina aka Tall Riceflower

Pimelea ligustrina is a shrub in the Thymelaeaceae family. It keeps its leaves all year. Its native range starts in southeast Queensland. It runs through southeastern Australia and also includes Tasmania. Records include eastern New South Wales and Victoria. They also include southeastern South Australia. In the wild, it grows in forests. It also grows among tree ferns in the mountains. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

In gardens, the shrub reaches about 8.2 feet [2.5 metres]. It grows slowly and keeps its leaves through each season. This gives it lasting value as a garden plant. The sources describe its use for looks in gardens. They suggest a sunny woodland edge as one planting site. Its stems also yield fibre for ties and cord. This gives it a use beyond its garden role.

Flowers form at the tips of last year's growth. These older shoots carry the next crop of flowers. Each plant has male or female flowers, not both. Gardeners need both sexes to get seed from the plants. A lone plant cannot use its own pollen to set seed. The supplied species evidence gives no flower colour or bloom season. It gives no details of the fruit or leaves either.

Choose a sunny site; this shrub does not grow in shade. It prefers peaty loam with no lime and good drainage. Both sandy soil and loam suit this shrub. It accepts acid to neutral soil, even very acid soil. The soil can be dry or moist, but must drain well. Cold limits where it can grow in British gardens. Most plants there need the shelter of a greenhouse. It can grow outdoors on the Scilly Isles. The mildest sites on the mainland may suit it too. The source lists USDA zones 8–11 for this shrub. Yet it stresses that the plant has little hardiness in Britain.

The plant can suffer sudden dieback; the source gives no cause. Take softwood cuttings in late spring to raise more plants. In summer, use half-ripe cuttings with a heel. Young plants need shelter from cold in their first winter outdoors. The supplied evidence records no use as food or medicine. The source lists no known hazards for this plant. This does not prove it is safe for people or pets.