LAGUNARIA patersonii

Evergreen shrub or tree, with a quick growth and which comes from Australia. Branched from the base, it spontaneously assumes a columnar or pyramidal shape and can reach 10 metres of height. Its ovate and leathery leaves have a dark green top page and a white-silvery bottom one. Between june and july, the plant fills of pink flowers reminding the hibiscus', even if of smaller sizes. Numerous capsules follow the flowers. They contain red kidney-shaped seeds and a lot of irritating hairs.

It needs sunny positions and it adjusts to many kind of soil even if it prefers the quite fertile and well drained ones. It tolerates very well drought, just summer sporadic irrigations could give benefits to the plant, above all when it is stil young. It doesn't tolerate deep and long lasting frosts, but it is salt resistant. It is ideal for coastal gardens both as single specimen and as windbreak barrier. It doesn't need a real pruning which will be limited to the removal of dried parts or to a light shortening of the youngest branches, with the aim of keeping the thick and ordered shape of the plant.