Colletia cruciata

Vicious little evergreen shrub from Patagonia with delicious almond scented flowers beloved by all self respecting butterflies with a healthy disregard for their own safety. The entire plant appears to be made up of little models of nose to tail Vulcan bombers. Or are they Concordes?

Lots of light and reasonably well drained soil and plant where you don't want people to go. A botanical curiosity. Why would you grow it in your garden? Why do we grow it? Absolutely no idea. We always have and we always will. We can't help ourselves.

Propagated by us from cuttings. Either originally from the Chelsea Physic Garden or Borde Hill in Sussex. Can't remember.

N.B. When clipping several plants with the same tool, have a bucket containing a 5% bleach solution and swish your blades around for 30 seconds between plants to sterilise them. This will help avoid the chance of cross contamination of disease.

As with all woody plants, plant high, exposing as much of the taper at the base of the trunk as possible. Allowing soil to accumulate round the base of a tree can be fatal. Keep very well watered when first planted.