Hoheria populnea 'Alba Variegata' (v)

Trees

A spreading evergreen tree to 10m tall, often with flaky, pale brown and white bark when mature. The broadly ovate, toothed leaves, to 15cm long, are green with irregular white margins. In autumn it bears dense clusters of cup-shaped, fragrant white flowers

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

8-12 metres

Max Spread

4-8 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 10–20 years
Max Spread: 4-8 metres
Max Height: 8-12 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: East–facing or North–facing or 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): H3

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Flower

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Malvaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Spreading branched
Genus: Hoheria can be evergreen or deciduous shrubs or small trees with simple, toothed leaves, often distinctive juvenile foliage on young plants, and terminal umbels of fragrant white, 5-petalled flowers with prominent stamens
Name Status: Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in moderately fertile, well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil in full sun or partial shade, with shelter from cold, drying winds. Protect the roots with a winter mulch in cold areas

Propagation

Propagate by sowing seed in containers in a cold frame in autumn. Take semi-ripe cuttings in late summer or autumn

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Architectural
Coastal
Low Maintenance
Wall side borders

Pruning

See pruning group 1, although pruning is rarely necessary

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be susceptible to coral spot, particulary in damp shady sites and honey fungus