Description
Margyricarpus –
There is a sole species of a dwarf evergreen groundcover or small shrub in this genus. It occurs from dry, open sites in Northern Mountains and Southern lowlands of the Chilean Andes. It produces needle-like pinnate leaves and insignificant, 1/4″ wide green flowers, and is valued for its attractive, ½” wide, long lasting white fruit. Suitable for a scree bed, a garden.
Grow this frost tender plant in moderately fertile, acidic, moist but well drained soil in full sun with some midday shade or part shade.
M. pionnatus – M. setosus – Pearl Berry – Pearl Fruit – This spreading, densely branched shrub from the Andes grows 12″ tall and 18″-5′ feet wide. It produces sharply pointed, pinnate leaves, to 3/4″ long, with linear, dark green leaflets with inrolled, silky hairy edges. In spring and early summer it bears axillary clusters of 1-3 tiny green flowers, followed by spherical, pea sized, leathery, purple tinted white fruit, to 1/4″ across.
Zones 8-10
