Desfontainia spinosa
Desfontainia spinosa
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
Requires a humus-rich moisture-retentive acid soil in a sheltered position in partial shade[1]. Grows well in sandy soils as long as there is plenty of humus present[2]. Intolerant of alkaline soils and of water-logging[3]. Dislikes drought[1]. Plants like growing with their roots in the shade but their stems reaching up into the light[2]. This species is not fully hardy in Britain, plants tolerate temperatures down to about -10°c when sheltered from cold drying winds[1]. They grow best along the west coast of the country, especially in Scotland and N. Ireland[4]. The sub-species D. spinosa hookeri.(Dun.)Reiche. is usually employed for its medicinal virtues[5]. There is at least one named variety selected for its ornamental value[1]. The flowers are softly honey-scented[2]. A slow-growing plant[3]. Any pruning to retain shape is best done in the spring[1].
Propagation
Seed - surface sow in spring in a greenhouse. Do not allow the compost to become dry. Grow on the seedlings in a bright filtered light[1]. 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 into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid summer in a frame. Requires humid conditions and bottom heat at 16°c[1]. Overwinter in a cold frame and grow on for another year before planting out[1]. Division of suckers in the dormant season[3]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Desfontainia+spinosa>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]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.
- [2]Scented Flora of the World. — Genders. R. · Robert Hale. London. · 1994 · ISBN 0-7090-5440-8 ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.
- [3]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.
- [4]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.
- [5]Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. — Bown. D. · Dorling Kindersley, London. · 1995 · ISBN 0-7513-020-31 ↩︎A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
- [6]Narcotic Plants — Emboden. W. · Studio Vista · 1979 · ISBN 0-289-70864-8 ↩︎A lot of details about the history, chemistry and use of narcotic plants, including hallucinogens, stimulants, inebriants and hypnotics.