Plagianthus regius

Lovely small, deciduous tree from New Zealand, to 20' tall x 6-7' wide, that begins as a dense shrub with interlaced branches and matures to a graceful, upright, adult form with lateral branches and wavy, nearly black stems holding toothed leaves. Pale yellow-green flowers appear in late spring in large panicles. Tolerant of poor soils and dry conditions but enjoys consistent summer moisture. Dislikes intense summer heat with humidity. Perfect for the sunny coast or in dappled shade inland. Surprisingly, specimens from Cistus took single digits in several places in the winter of 2009 so we expect hardiness to frost in USDA zone 8.