Desfontainia
Common name: Chapico
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Overview:
Desfontainia spinosa is a slow growing evergreen shrub with holly type leaves that originates from the Andes in South America.
It is only suited to the milder areas of the UK, and will require shelter from cold winter winds.
It can grow to around 2 metres (6ft) with a similar spread,and its scarlet-orange trumpet shaped flowers appear late July to October
Cultivation:
Week 26:
Pot up previous year cuttings and grow on for another year under the same conditions.
Week 30:
Take heel cuttings from non flowering laterals and root at a temperature of 16°- 18°C65°F).
When rooted, pot up into 70mm (3") pots of potting compost and over-winter in a frost free coldframe or greenhouse.
Week 35:
Plant out any time from now until April in a partially shaded sheltered spot, where the soil is fertile, acidic, moist and most of all well drained.
Desfontainia spinosa will not grow well in alkaline soils, or soils prone to water-logging.