Hypoestis aristata

A medium, evergreen shrub. Vertical, branching stems form a vase shaped shrub, clothed in velvety, dark green leaves. During autumn whorled racemes of mauve flowers are produced in great abundance. Trim as necessary to develop dense growth. One of a few shrubs that will flower well in dense shade.

This Fall flowering treasure of a shrub is a very ornamental & tidy evergreen from South Africa. Spring green stems & pleated leaves grow into an erect, 2-5’ shrub. Starting in October, lavender flowers are borne in dense whorls, & put on an outstanding show, smothering the top of the plant. The upper lip of the flower is spotted & mottled with dark purple, & the lower one is curled in on itself like a ribbon. After bloom is spent trim off the flowering parts for a better appearance the following year. Such a handsome plant, so easy to grow, & a nice relief from the inescapable browns & oranges that abound in Autumn. Would be a lovely companion to some of our other favorite Fall bloomers, like Caryopteris incana, Plectranthus ‘Mona Lavender’, Montanoa grandiflora, & Asclepias curassavica. Average water is fine, & rich soil is preferred!