Bright glossy evergreen foliage, shaped like holly, is a great backdrop for the long tubular flowers of this distinctive plant from Chile and other Andean countries. It grows at a steady but slow pace and unlike holly, forms a dense compact mound of foliage rarely exceeding 2m high. The soft red flowers have a yellow tint where they flare out at the tips of the trumpet-shaped bloom and have a soft honey perfume. Although the main flowering periods are spring and summer, they can appear at any time, and are always conspicuous against the deep green foliage. The dark leaves and dense, rounded form of the Taique, as it is known in Chile, acts as a great foil for other architecturally-shaped plants, whilst having its own exotic qualities.
Whilst this species gets its hardiness from growing at altitude in the Andes, it prefers a sheltered spot in the UK in dappled shade. It doesn’t like drought and overly-poor soils, but apart from those few preferences this is an easy species to grow.
Height and spread after 3 – 4 years 1.m x 1.m
Semi mature height and spread after 7 – 8 years if not clipped or pruned 2.5m x 2.5m