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Shrubs

Azara microphylla 'Variegata' (v)

variegated box-leaf azara

An evergreen shrub or tree with small, glossy dark green leaves broadly edged with cream, and tiny vanilla-scented yellow flowers in late winter or early spring, occasionally followed by dull orange berries

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Ultimate height

4–8 metres

Time to ultimate height

20–50 years

Ultimate spread

2.5–4 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or East–facing

Exposure

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: Salicaceae
Native to the UK: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Azara are evergreen shrubs or small trees with simple leaves, often in unequal pairs, and very small, fragrant yellow flowers with prominent stamens in clusters or spikes from the leaf axils, occasionally followed by white or pale purple berries
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Favours a sheltered position in sun or partial shade with a deep, humus-rich soil. Shelter from cold, drying winds

Propagation

Propagate from semi-hardwood cuttings in summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Pruning group 8 or pruning group 13 for wall-trained specimens

Pests

Generally pest free

Diseases

Generally disease free

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