Guide Jon’s plant of the month for March

One of the Botanic Garden’s most striking plants during the hot summer months is the tall mulla mulla, Ptilotus exaltatus. Starting in December, it produces tall cylindrical spikes of soft, pink to purple, closely packed, feathery tubular flowers on upright or spreading shoots.  New flower spikes appear throughout the summer.

In the wild, tall mulla mulla is an annual or short-lived perennial that is found in a variety of habitats and on various soil types, growing up to 1.2 m high. It is widespread across most of Western Australia, except the Southwest, the Nullarbor and the driest parts of the interior. In the WA Rangelands it is grazed heavily by cattle and is common after fire or other disturbance.

Tall mulla mulla is found throughout the rest of inland Australia. Across this wide distribution it has several other common names including pink mulla mulla, pussy tail, lamb’s tail and showy foxtail. Early European settlers ate the leaves as a wild spinach.  

In your garden, this attractive plant can be cultivated as a heat tolerant bedding plant. In Kings Park it is often planted with the similar green mulla mulla, Ptilotus xerophilus, and can be found in summer in the Mound and the Desert, Pilbara and Kimberley beds. It is also flourishing in the rich plantings of desert annuals in the beds at the top of the Short Vista.

Ask the Guides in the Visitor Information Centre where to find them, or join one of our twice daily free guided walks.