Description

Family Rutaceae
Originating from Australia

• A slender upright shrub with outstanding stem and evergreen foliage colour.
• Equally slender, tubular pale green/yellow flowers are borne in spring and early summer.
• Easy to grow in a sunny, sheltered woodland spot.

Unique, classy, and finely detailed in all its parts, this fantastic and rare species possesses a distinctive character in a rugged and understated way. Its upright stems feature smooth tan bark, and the new shoots and undersides of the leaves are covered in a wooly layer of tiny dusky pink-colored hairs, giving the new growth a textured surface. The dense mass of upright branches, bearing dark, glossy olive-green leaves,  forms a uniquely shaped evergreen shrub. Its distinctive coloration demands close observation. The leaves and branches exhibit exquisite symmetry, borne oppositely on the branches at ascending angles, showcasing the unique hues of its new growth.

Its slender green/yellow tubular flowers appear in spring and early summer, sporadically blooming in autumn as well. These flowers also feature a finely hairy, rough-textured surface and finely recurved tips, revealing a cluster of protruding stamens that extend some distance beyond the flower, creating an elegantly exotic bloom.

Proven to be fairly hardy in the UK, it is easy to grow in all but heavy wet soils, thriving best in sheltered woodland conditions with dappled shade.

Height and spread after 5 – 10 years 2m x 1.5m.