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Asteraceae FAMILY

Olearia avicenniifolia

Olearia avicenniifolia

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Shrub
Growth—

Succeeds in any well-drained moderately fertile soil in full sun[1, 2]. Thrives in a chalky soil[1] but prefers a light loam or peaty soil[3]. Very tolerant of maritime exposure[3, 4]. Tolerates atmospheric pollution[2]. This species is not very hardy outside the milder western and south-western maritime areas of Britain[5], tolerating temperatures down to about -10°c[6]. Another report says that it is hardy to about -15°c[2]. Very slow growing in Britain[4], the plants generally only reach 2 - 3 metres tall in cultivation in this country. Plants can be pruned right back into old wood in order to promote fresh growth[2]. Any pruning is best done in the spring[3]. Some named forms have been developed for their ornamental value[1]. Flowers best in years following long hot summers[2]. The flowers are sweetly scented[6].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in early spring in a greenhouse. Do not allow the compost to dry out. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. If growth has been sufficiently good, plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer of the following year, otherwise grow them on for another year in pots and plant them out the following early summer. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel, mid summer in a frame. Pot up in late August and overwinter in a cold frame then plant out in late spring or early summer[7]. Good percentage[3]. Cuttings of moderately ripe wood of the current years growth, 5 - 10cm with a heel, late autumn in a frame. High percentage[7]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Olearia+avicenniifolia>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. — Thomas. G. S. · Murray · 1992 · ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 ↩︎Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
  2. [2]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.
  3. [3]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.
  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]Shrubs. — Phillips. R. & Rix. M. · Pan Books · 1989 · ISBN 0-330-30258-2 ↩︎Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1,900 species and cultivars.
  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.
  8. [8]Shrubs for the Milder Counties. — Arnold-Forster. ↩︎Trees and shrubs that grow well in Cornwall and other mild areas of Britain. Fairly good, a standard reference book.
  9. [9]The Milder Garden. — Taylor. J. · Dent · 1990 ↩︎A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.