BlueBell Arboretum & Nursery

Mail order trees, shrubs, conifers and woody climbers

Description

A fascinating and unusual plant with colourful flowers which can be found growing in the wild in the South American Andes, from Colombia to southern Chile. Desfontainia spinosa has remarkable tubular, scarlet and orange flowers throughout late summer which stand out well against the dark green, glossy leaves.

These flowers are colourful, eye-catching and when not in flower this superb, slow growing, evergreen shrub could be easily mistaken for a holly.

Supplied Size: 3L containers (young, small plants only)

• Position: Sheltered in partial shade.
• Soil: Moist yet well drained, acid, fertile soil. Desfontainia spinosa dislikes and will not grow well in soils which are alkaline or prone to water-logging.
• Hardiness: Reasonably hardy. Desfontainia spinosa requires shelter from cold winter winds.
• Flowering Period: August - October.
• Flower Colour: Scarlet-orange
• Rate of Growth: Slow.
• Habit: Desfontainia spinosa grows to be a medium sized, rounded shrub.
  • Height: 2 m (6 ft).
  • Spread: 2 m (6 ft).

• Notes: We have a specimen of Desfontainia spinosa, planted in the woodland garden surrounding our nursery. At 8 years old, it had reached a height of 1 m (3 ft) and a spread of 1 m (3 ft).