Description
Lotus hirsutus syn. Dorycnium hirsutum
One of my favourite plant names! And the plant itself is just as cute! This is a low-growing semi-evergreen sub-shrub in the Fabaceae family (sub-family Papilionaceae), native to the Mediterranean from Portugal to Turkey and as far south as northern Africa. This is a very ornamental foliage plant with arched branches of fuzzy silver leaves, forming a spreading mound growing up to 50 centimetres in height when in flower. These blooms are pinkish-red with white veins and form throughout summer, with up to ten flowers in dense rounded heads. They are very attractive to bees. The flowers are followed by cylindrical reddish brown seed pods.
Although native to dry grasslands, hairy canary clover is suitable for many difficult areas such as rock gardens, dry stone walls and stony slopes in full sun. It features in the famous Beth Chatto dry gardens in Essex. It also makes a good container plant. Plants are frost, drought and fire resistant. Although of lower forage value than lucerne, they have been identified as having the potential to be integrated into summer dry agricultural systems as a source of nutritional forage when little or no other feed is available.
11cm pot. Certified organic plant.
Freight: full list of freight and packing charges
Photo credit: https://www.bethchatto.co.uk/shop-by-other/shrubs/lotus-hirsutus.htm and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_hirsutus
