RHS Garden Hyde Hall - Farmhouse Garden - Puzzle No. 5

[ideasguy]

I couldnt locate the label for this lovely little plant with tubular yellow flowers


and heres a close up:

[Tom]

This looks like Correa backhouseana from Tasmania. I managed to grow this for a few years on Skye. Tom.

[ideasguy]

Corr!
That plant was so unusual that the Genus was not in the Master Database.
Its entered now, and that species.
Clicking the RHS buttons leads to some interesting facts.
It has the AGM 
As you know, the RHS assigns a UK hardiness rating to all AGM plants, and that one comes out as H2, which is pretty tender!
You did well to grow it on the Isle of Skye, Tom.
(For those who want to do a map lookup, Skye is an island off the Scottish mainland.)

Heres a few links I found:
Tim Mann Taylors web site (Sunningdale)
http://www.nccpg.com/Gloucestershire/plantweek28b.html

A search on this site
http://www.cpbr.gov.au
should yield this photo:
http://www.cpbr.gov.au/images/photo_cd/310611221673/034_2.jpg
I have to confess I went the other way (!!)

Theres a margin of difference in the above two pics, and again with mine. The first shows the plant with greyish leaves.

I'd say you are spot on with the Genus, Tom.
Since you actually grew it and it looks like your plant, then thats good enough for me to assign a name.
Do you have any photos of your plant Tom? It attracted my attention, obviously, but I'd like to hear your rating. Is it a good plant?
Do you recall the flowering period?

As a matter of curiosity, Ive been checking out the other species and cultivars listed on the RHS web site, and will continue the exercise tomorrow. Two others have the AGM, again H2.

[Tom]

Sorry I don't have picture of Correa, there seems to be quite a bit of variation within the species, I have seen them ranging from lime green through to bright yellow. It is not easy to keep this plant happy we grew it in a cool greenhouse for a while before putting it out, it needs a very favourable site. If you have hard frosts forget it. Another nice species is C reflexa 'Dusky Bells with Salmon coloured flowers. Either species should do well in a conservatory.

[ideasguy]

Thanks for your valuable comments Tom. If OK with you, I can use that in a review of the plant.
Did your plant have plain yellow flowers as in my photo?

Heres a few other varieties which I found on the RHS website, with colours from the net:
a) The Dusky Bells one youve mentioned - Carmine-pink 
b) Correa backhouseana 'Peaches And Cream'   (Cannot find a colour reference on net, but, at a wild guess  I'd say its Peachy with Creamy tips?)
c) Correa 'Federation Belle'    Bright pink, creamy yellow  petal tips     
d) Correa 'Marian's Marvel'     also pink with yellow tips                                                         
'Dusky Bells' and 'Marian's Marvel'  have the AGM
This Australian web site has a list of them:
http://www.redbreast.com.au/plant_list.php?whole=yes