Description
Pentachondra –
There are 3 to 5 species of slow growing, prostrate, evergreen shrubs in this genus. They occur in boggy meadows in Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. They are grown for their alternate, heath like, linear to ovate or elliptic, mid or dark green leaves, and for their numerous solitary, axillary, small, tubular flowers, the colorful, berry like fruits are seldom produced in cultivation. These plants are suitable for a rock garden and grow best in cool climates with mild winters, they are extremely difficult to cultivate in hot, dry conditions.
Grow in gritty, acidic soil in moderately fertile, humus rich, moist but well drained soil in full sun.
P. pumila – This procumbent shrub from Australia and New Zealand grows 3-6″ tall and 12-36″ wide. It produces crowded, obovate, hairy, purplish green leaves, to 1/4″ long. In spring and summer it bears starry white flowers with hairy insides, to 1/4″ long, with recurving lobes, occasionally followed by and/or with the flowers the orange-red fruit.
Zones 7-9
