code: 535
it lives in the foothills of the Andes and ascends to more than 2,000 metres
Family: Asteraceae
Common name: Tola blanca
Plant Classification: Half hardy shrub Hardy shrub
Minimum Height: 1.5 meters
Maximum Height: 3.0 meters
Looking rather like an escallonia, but is no relative, this lovely evergreen shrub bears numerous pink flowers massed together in attractive bunches, sometimes resembling a bottlebrush. A rare plant, and a species in danger of extinction, it lives in the foothills of the Andes and ascends to more than 2,000 metres where it can tolerate occasional freezing spells down to around -5° C (the typical morning frost of central Chile).
Sowing advice:
These seeds have already been thoroughly cleaned and cold-stored for several months. They should be sown into a well-drained, sandy compost at any time of the year, and covered thinly with sand or grit and kept moist. Keep at between 15 and 20 degrees C. Germination usually occurs within 4 to 6 weeks although some seeds may take much longer.
Regions:
Coquimbo, Valparaíso, Metropolitana, Del General Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins, Maule, Biobío, Araucanía, Los Ríos, Los Lagos and Ñuble
