Coronilla valentina

RHS Plant Profile
bastard senna

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bastard senna RHS

Other common names

rue-leaved coronilla, shrubby scorpion vetch

Shrubs
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A dense, rounded, bushy, evergreen shrub to 1.5m. The leaves are bright green with up to 13 leaflets, and the small, fragrant, bright yellow flowers are borne in clusters in late winter and early spring and again in late summer

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

1-1.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
5–10 years
Max Spread
1-1.5 metres
Max Height
1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
West–facing or South–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)
H4

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Flower
Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Fabaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Evergreen
Habit
Bushy
Genus
Coronilla can be annuals, herbaceous perennials or deciduous or evergreen shrubs, with pinnate leaves and often scented, pea-like flowers in compact umbels in the leaf axils
Name Status
Correct
Plant Range
Mediteranean, S Portugal

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in light, well-drained soil in full sun, sheltered from cold, dry winds

Propagation

Propagate by seed or semi-hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Coastal
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Wall side borders

Pruning

Pruning group 1 but may be hard pruned in spring if leggy

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus