This native of Chile is a large evergreen shrub and resembles a holly. The shiny dark green leaves are pointed, and leathery. They are about three inches long and almost spineless.. Twenty to thirty flowers appear in three inch long pendulous racemes in spring. Each yellow-orange flower is .2-.3 inches across and is followed by egg-shaped purplish fruit that ripens in the fall. Plants are hard to propagate either by seed or cuttings and are, therefore, hard to find.
Type: Evergreen shrub
Outstanding Feature: Flowers
Form: Rounded
Growth Rate: Slow
Bloom: Two inch long pendulous racemes of 20-30 yellow-orange flowers in spring
Size: 13’ H x 13’ W
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Average, moist, well drained
Hardiness: Zones 6-9
Care: Prune in late winter to maintain shape or size; rejuvenate by cutting out old stems and encouraging new growth.
Pests and Diseases: Leaf spot
Propagation: Difficult to propagate. Seeds germinate erratically in 60-120 days after overwintering and need light for germination; semi-ripe cuttings with a heal in summer