Shrub
Valentine bush
Eremophila maculata 'Valentine' · Scrophulariaceae (formerly Myoporaceae)
Also called: Valentine emu bush, Valentine red emu bush, Spotted emu bush 'Valentine'
Valentine bush (Eremophila maculata 'Valentine') is a low-water shrub well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It grows to 3-5 ft H x 4-5 ft W (mounding, dense) in full sun, with a moderate to fast growth rate.
Valentine bush at a glance
- Water use
- Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun; tolerates reflected heat. Bloom is reduced in shade.
- Mature size
- 3-5 ft H x 4-5 ft W (mounding, dense)
- Growth rate
- Moderate to fast
- Bloom
- Deep red to magenta-red tubular flowers (reddish-bronze new foliage), Mid/late winter into early spring, peaking around Valentine's Day (roughly January-March/April).
- Cold hardiness
- Hardy to about 17-20 F; reliable in USDA zones 8b-11. Evergreen.
- Soil
- Requires well-drained soil; gravelly or sandy desert soils are ideal. Intolerant of soggy, poorly drained conditions.
- Native range
- Cultivar (Australian hybrid) of Eremophila maculata, a species native to arid and semi-arid Australia; not native to the Sonoran Desert.
- Best used as
- Winter color / Valentine's-season bloom, Hummingbird and pollinator garden, Foundation, massing, or low informal hedge, Mounding accent in low-water landscapes, Pool-area planting (clean, no thorns)
- Wildlife
- Excellent winter hummingbird nectar source when few other plants bloom; also visited by bees. Provides off-season pollinator support.
- Toxicity
- Not known to be toxic to people or pets.
How to grow Valentine bush in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Drought tolerant once established; deep-water roughly once or twice a month in summer, less in winter. Avoid overwatering, which causes leggy growth and root problems; bloom and form are partly controlled by water amount.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Low needs; little to no fertilizer required. An optional light feed in fall can support the winter bloom, but it is not necessary in reasonable soil.
Pruning & care
Shear/prune once a year in late spring AFTER flowering finishes (around April-May) to maintain the dense mound and set buds for next winter's bloom. Do not prune in fall or winter, which removes the developing flower buds.
Notes
A near-sterile cultivar that rarely sets seed, so it stays tidy and non-weedy. Prized specifically for blooming in the cold, off-season window around February. Timing of pruning is the key care point: prune only after the late-winter/spring bloom, never in fall.
Sources: Water Use It Wisely / AMWUA Plant of the Month (Eremophila 'Valentine'); Monrovia plant profile; University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; Civano Nursery / Tucson nursery guides