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Mackaya bella (Forest Bell Bush) - An upright-dense growing evergreen shrub to 6-8 feet tall or more with oppositely arranged 4 to 5 inch long glossy slender elliptically shaped dark green leaves that have wavy margins and prominent midrib and veins on the lower surface. In mid-spring to early summer appear the beautiful clusters of 2-inch-long trumpet-shaped pale lavender flowers with the throats having pronounced deep purple veins.
Plant in full morning sun, partial sun to dense shade in well-draining soil and give regular to occasional irrigation. It is hardy to about 20 degrees F. Can be pruned hard to control size and shape. It is a nice addition to a tropical-looking garden as a specimen plant or for use as an informal hedge and can be trimmed up as a small tree.
Mackaya bella occurs naturally in forests and along streams in the Eastern Cape, Kwazulu Natal, Swaziland and Northern Province of South Africa. The genus was named after James Townsend Mackay, author of Flora Hibernica and the specific epithet is Latin for "beautiful" in reference to its attractive flowers. We grew and sold this wonderful plant continuously from 1987 on and we have several large specimens of it in the nursery gardens.
Information displayed on this page about Mackaya bella is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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