Musschia aurea

So deliciously rare & until now it’s never found its way into cultivation! Endemic to Madeira & a few Canary Islands, “Madeira Giant Bellflower” is a subtropical member of the Campanula family, topping out at about 3’ tall. It forms large, woody, brownish-grey trunks topped by huge rosettes of glossy fresh green serrated leaves. If it behaves as our other Musschia, M. wollastonii, it will bloom in its second year (& until then much admired as a fascinating tropical foliage accent.) Blooming from July to September, the curious upward facing golden yellow flowers are borne profusely, each topped by five curling stamens rather resembling a Judy Jetson hairdo. Musschia aurea is said to be perennial & well adapted to dryness, often growing out of rock cliffs above the sea. Our seed supplier says it prefers sun & very well-drained soil.