Featured Plant of the Week (Lamb's Tail)

Lamb's Tail

Lamb's Tail is a recent addition to the horticulture scene in the US, being introduced in 2008. In that time it has become a popular choice for summer gardens thanks to its striking bottle-brush shaped flower spikes, neon pink colors, and silver-green foliage. It also makes an excellent accent for potted arrangements and even bouquets of cut flowers.

It goes by several common names including Pink Mulla Mulla, ‘Joey', and Pink Pussy Tails. Its botanical name is Ptilotus exaltatus, which means "tall feathers". The genus Ptilotus consists of about 100 species of perennial grassy shrubs that mostly originate in the hot and dry mainland of Australia. In the wild it can reach almost 5 feet tall, and its flower spikes grow to be 4 or 5 inches long.

Ptilotus exaltatus is one of about 2000 species of plants collected by Scottish botanist Robert Brown on an expedition to Australia in 1801. The Ptilotus genus itself is mostly endemic to Australia, and so was more or less discovered by this expedition. Robert Brown first described the genus and its species in 1810 by publishing Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae, which was the first attempt to survey plant life in Australia. Robert Brown is noted for several other distinguishing discoveries, such as being among the first to observe and describe the nucleus of a cell.

Lamb's Tail has a reputation for being difficult to cultivate, and since it is new to the US, there is not much expertise available on it. But it seems the most important thing to remember is that its natural habitat is hot and dry. Ptilotus exaltatus is drought tolerant, and takes full sun as a matter of course. If planted inside, be sure it receives bright indirect light. Water it only sparingly, and be sure to plant it in potting medium that will drain easily. It performs best at temperatures over 65°F, so bring it inside before it gets too frosty.

BloomRite® Gardens is one of the only vendors supplying Lamb's Tail in the US, and we will be offering it for only a couple weeks more. So be sure to place an order or call ahead to determine availability if you want to purchase some before supplies run out. Lamb's Tail is sold in flats of 8 or 15, at $2.95 per pot.