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Brown Boronia Wikimedia Commons
Rutaceae

Brown Boronia

Boronia megastigma

Rare and exotic beauty.

Family
Rutaceae
Genus
Boronia
Native to
Western Australia
Bloom season
Winter, Spring
Type
shrub
Height
2-3 ft
Sunlight
part shade
Soil
acidic, sandy, well-drained
Water
moderate
Hardiness
9-11
Lifespan
perennial

Did you know

  • It produces one of the most intoxicating fragrances in the plant world — a complex blend of freesia, raspberry, and musk.
  • The essential oil is extremely expensive, valued in perfumery at prices rivaling rose and jasmine absolute.
  • The flowers are unusual in being brown on the outside and yellow inside, a rare color combination in nature.
  • It is notoriously difficult to cultivate outside its native habitat, often dying without apparent cause.
  • The genus Boronia is named after Francesco Borone, an Italian botanist who was killed during a plant-collecting expedition in 1794.

Color meanings

0

rare beauty

1

exotic allure

2

appreciation

Uses

  • perfumery
  • cut flowers
  • essential oil production
  • ornamental garden specimen