Colletia hystrix

RHS Plant Profile
bristly colletia

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bristly colletia RHS 1999
bristly colletia RHS

Synonyms

Colletia armata

Shrubs
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An almost leafless bushy shrub to 3m tall and wide, the grey-green stems bearing many sharp, rigid spines to 4cm long; tiny, fragrant white flowers open in small clusters on the spines in late summer and early autumn

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

2.5-4 metres

Max Spread

2.5-4 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
10–20 years
Max Spread
2.5-4 metres
Max Height
2.5-4 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–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)
H5

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Flower
Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Rhamnaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Bushy
Genus
Colletia are spiny deciduous shrubs with sparse leaves and small, fragrant, tubular flowers in late summer or autumn
Name Status
Correct
Plant Range
S Chile, Argentina

How to Grow

Cultivation

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

Propagation

Propagate by semi-ripe cuttings of short sideshoots in late summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Patio and container plants
  • Architectural
  • Coastal
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Mediterranean climate plants
  • Banks and slopes
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Wall side borders

Pruning

Pruning group 1; can tolerate moderately hard pruning

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free