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Polygala myrtifolia 'Grandiflora' (Sweet Pea Shrub) - A large dense evergreen shrub that grows to 10 feet or more tall by an equal spread. The unique rich purple flowers have two-winged petals that surround the whitish purple lacy crest. They bloom during most of the year with spring their peak bloom period.
Plant in sun or part shade with occasional irrigation – noted as being fairly drought tolerant by South African gardeners but seems to look its best with at least occasional irrigation. It is hardy to our southern California winters along the coast and can be grown in warmer areas of the British Isles where it is noted to survive temperatures just below 20F with the tip growth nipped back – for us it has remained evergreen without any damage from temperatures down to the mid-20s° F. This plant inhabits areas along the seashore in South Africa and is noted as tolerant of wind and coastal sea spray.
Polygala myrtifolia occurs naturally in diverse habitats from near the ocean to up in the mountains from the Western Cape Province to Kwazulu-Natal in South Africa and into Orange Free State. It is less common in the nursery trade then the popular Polygala x dalmaisiana of which Polygala myrtifolia is one parent, with the other parent being Polygala fruticosa. It differs from these others by being a much bigger plant with larger darker green foliage and larger flowers. The name Polygala is Latin from the Greek word 'polugalon' for "much milk" because of the belief that cows grazing on milkwort increased their milk production and the specific epithet comes from the foliage looking like that of the true Myrtle (Myrtus). Other common names include Augustusbossie and September Bush as peak bloom in South Africa is during later winter and spring (August-September). The form 'Grandiflora' is reportedly a larger flower selection of the species, though we have never seen the straight species to compare it to. We grew this plant from 1996 until 2012 when we replaced it with another selection we called Polygala myrtifolia 'Mesa Grande'.
Information displayed on this page about Polygala myrtifolia 'Grandiflora' 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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