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Shrubs

Atraphaxis spinosa

A low, sprawling, deciduous shrub to 60cm tall and 120cm wide with slender, branching stems often tipped with spines. Small, oval to round leaves up to 1cm long are a blue-green colour and tiny, white to pink flowers are borne in small clusters in summer

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

1–1.5 metres

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Polygonaceae
Native to the UK: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy, Spreading branched
Name status: Correct
Plant range: S Europe, SW Asia

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in well-drained soil in a sunny position such as a rock garden or on a stony bank

Propagation

Propagate by seed, by softwood cuttings or by layering

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Rock garden
Low Maintenance
Banks and slopes

Pruning

Restrict pruning to the removal of branch tips every second or third year in spring to contain spread

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

Get involved

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