Magenta tubes
Flowers are elongated and tubular with a few large throat spots, usually dark purple ringed with cream.
Eremophila alternifolia × maculata ‘Thunderbolt’® 3lt
Normal price
€12,00
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The legal guarantee concerns the plant’s conformity at delivery. It is not a guarantee of survival or growth for two years. Each issue is assessed taking into account the nature of the plant, its care and the conditions in which it is kept. Your statutory rights remain unaffected.
Eremophila alternifolia × maculata ‘Thunderbolt’® 3lt
Normal price
€12,00
Eremophila alternifolia × maculata ‘Thunderbolt’®
A trumpet flower that makes no noise 🎺
- Hybrid of two Eremophila
- Spotted magenta flowers
- Drought-tolerant once established
- Sun and excellent drainage
Eremophila alternifolia × maculata ‘Thunderbolt’® has the electric intensity promised by its name: vivid magenta tubular flowers, marked more deeply in the throat, stand out along fine airy growth. The contrast between saturated blooms and slender stems makes the shrub appear both dramatic and light. This unusual Australian hybrid brings a clear pulse of colour and a distinctly different botanical texture to a collection.
As a specimen in a prominent container or within a dry-climate composition, it supplies personality without weighing down the space. Its elongated tubular flowers act like bright signals among silver foliage, linear grasses and other fine-branched forms.
What makes it special
Light branching, narrow green leaves and magenta flowers give this hybrid its distinctive appearance.
An airy crown
Fine shoots create a natural light habit suited to gravel and Australian or Mediterranean schemes.
Long flowering potential
In mild conditions it may hold or repeat flowers through much of the cool and spring period.
Why you will love it: it brings exotic colour and light movement to places where drainage matters more than frequent care.
In the garden & on the balconyPlacement & plant combinationsIn full sun, a raised bed or fast-draining pot protected from prolonged frost.
Best position
Choose full sun, moving air and rapid drainage, ideally in a raised bed, slope or large pot. Do not place it in a hollow that retains winter water.
Allow room for the broad crown in the middle or back of a planting, with lower plants in front. For separate, freely growing specimens reaching their full size, allow approximately 2.5 m from centre to centre; light pruning after flowering maintains branching.
Compatible planting
Magenta is sharpened by silver, grey-green and soft yellow. Companions must share full sun, low to moderate irrigation and very free-draining soil.
- Eremophila glabra ‘Kalbarri Carpet’ — creates a low silver-green Australian layer with matching drainage requirements
- Santolina chamaecyparissus — adds compact silver contrast and small yellow flowers in dry sunny soil
- Anigozanthos ‘Bush Pearl’ — links the magenta palette with upright flower stems in a warm, sheltered position. Keep it in a separate pot or irrigation zone, as it needs more consistent moisture during active growth.
Care at a glance
Light
Full sun for compact growth and generous flowering.
Watering
Deep but less frequent watering once established; allow soil to dry between irrigations.
Climate & hardiness
Tolerates heat and dryness; protect from hard frost and prolonged winter wet.
Safety
Not intended for consumption; wear gloves if your skin is sensitive to plant sap.
Detailed careComplete care guideFull sun, exceptional drainage, deep infrequent water, limited feeding, post-flowering pruning and winter shelter.
Light
Choose full sun for a generous flower display. Light partial shade is tolerated, but growth may become more open in a darker position.
Drainage
Use a sandy or gritty mix and raised position. Prolonged moisture around roots is the main risk.
Watering
Water deeply during establishment, allowing the soil to dry partly between waterings. Established roots in the ground tolerate dry spells; check moisture more often in pots, especially in heat and wind.
Feeding
Give a small dose of gentle feed in spring. Avoid rich nitrogen and unnecessary high-phosphorus products.
Pruning
After the main flowering flush, lightly shorten the tips to encourage branching. Avoid cutting deeply into bare old wood, where regrowth is not assured.
Cold
In colder districts keep the pot movable and drier in winter. Protect the crown when frost is forecast.
Development over timeFrom a fine young shrub to an airy flowering crownGood rooting and light post-flowering cuts create more flowering tips.
Establishment
Water deeply for the first months so roots descend, but never keep soil continuously wet.
Branching
After flowers, light tip-pruning encourages side shoots without losing natural movement.
Mature form
In favourable conditions with unrestricted growth it can reach approximately 2.5 m in height and spread. In colder climates, with pruning or in a pot it usually remains smaller.
Mature habit & dimensions
Established plant in the groundUp to 2.5 m tallUp to 2.5 m wideBranched evergreen crown
Woody stems branch near the base to form a broad crown of elongated green leaves. Flowers appear along the leafy branches, leaving the light branching structure visible.
Form through time
Two characteristic viewsMagenta flowersGreen evergreen foliage
FloweringMagenta flowers stand out among the green leaves.
Between flowering flushesThe crown remains leafy when flowers become fewer.
Seasonal change is mainly expressed through the flowers. The foliage remains green; the intensity and duration of each flowering flush vary with the climate.
What to expect after planting: root adjustment first, followed by more flowering tips as the crown becomes denser.
History & originCultivar originAn Australian hybrid with several trade names
Eremophila ‘Thunderbolt’ originated from hybridisation between the Australian species Eremophila alternifolia and Eremophila maculata. Its original name was ‘Blue Thunder’, and it has been available from nurseries since around 2010.
The same selection also spread under the names ‘Wild Berry’ and ‘Magenta Dream’. Its large magenta flowers have dark spots with pale borders inside the corolla.
Greenleaf for Plant NerdsScience nobody asked forBotanical details for anyone curious about what lies behind the plant’s appearance
One tube formed from five petals
The long corolla of Eremophila is formed from five petals joined along most of their length. They separate into lobes at the opening, while nectar lies at the base of the tube. The flower therefore combines a narrow passage with an open mouth, rather than five independent petals around its centre.
Flowers in the leaf axils
In ‘Thunderbolt’, flowers appear singly where a leaf meets the stem, in the area called the leaf axil. Colour is therefore spread along the leafy branches rather than concentrated in a separate terminal spike; the flower display follows the branching of the crown itself.
Frequently asked questions
Six practical answers about position, watering and long-term growth.
01Does it need frequent watering?
In the ground, once established, it tolerates less frequent deep watering. Check the soil more often in a pot because the smaller volume of compost dries more quickly.
02Can it take severe heat?
Yes, with established roots and deep infrequent water. Drainage remains essential.
03Can it tolerate frost?
It needs shelter from hard or prolonged frost, especially when young or container-grown.
04When should it be pruned?
After the main flowering flush, lightly trim the tips to encourage new side shoots. Avoid cutting deeply into old, bare wood.
05Is it the same as Blue Thunder?
Yes; different regions and nurseries use different trade names for the same hybrid.
06Why is it yellowing?
Check excess moisture and poor drainage first. Roots decline quickly in heavy, permanently wet soil.
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Every order is prepared with care so your plant arrives upright, secure and safe.
Individual protection
Plants in pots with a capacity of 3 litres or more are placed in individual boxes that hold the pot securely and reduce the risk of tipping over.
Sturdy packaging
We use reinforced cardboard designed to protect against impacts and vibration during transport.