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Rhamnaceae FAMILY

Colletia armata

Colletia armata

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitDeciduous Shrub
GrowthSlow

Grows well in a sandy freely draining loam where it flowers freely in a sunny position[1]. Succeeds in dry soils[1, 2]. Plants tolerate partial shade if they are grown in a perfectly draining lean soil[3]. They are very tolerant of maritime exposure[4, 3]. A very ornamental plant[5], it is not very hardy in Britain, succeeding outdoors only in the milder areas of the country and tolerating temperatures down to about -5°c[3]. The plants do not have leaves, but they have very sharp spines which are used instead of the leaves in the function of photosynthesis[6]. The flowers are fragrant[6]. They have the scent of vanilla[2]. A very slow growing plant[4]. The form 'Rosea' is stronger-growing[2].

Propagation

Seed - we have no information for this species but suggest sowing fresh seed as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse and stored seed as early in the year as it is received. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe side shoots, 5 - 8cm with a heel, mid summer in a frame[3]. Cuttings of mature side shoots of the current year's growth, 10 - 12cm with a heel, early winter in a cold frame. Leave for 18 months before potting up. Good percentage[7]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Colletia+armata>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  2. [2]Climbers and Wall Shrubs. — Davis. B. · Viking. · 1990 · ISBN 0-670-82929-3 ↩︎Contains information on 2,000 species and cultivars, giving details of cultivation requirements. The text is terse but informative.
  3. [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  4. [4]Shelter Trees and Hedges. — Rosewarne experimental horticultural station. · Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food · 1984 · ISBN - ↩︎A small booklet packed with information on trees and shrubs for hedging and shelterbelts in exposed maritime areas.
  5. [5]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  6. [6]The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers — Brickell. C. · Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. · 1990 · ISBN 0-86318-386-7 ↩︎Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
  7. [7]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.