Golden Acre Home & Garden Centre's Plant Library

Other Names:  Scotch Attorney, Pitch Apple, Florida Clusia

Description:

An adaptable, densely foliated large shrub; thick green leaves with olive undersides; showy, pale pink flowers appear in summer; drought tolerant once established, but grows rapidly in moist soils; highly tolerant of seaside wind and spray

Ornamental Features

Autograph bush features showy shell pink round flowers with gold eyes and pink spots at the ends of the branches from early to late summer. It has attractive bluish-green foliage with olive green undersides which emerges chartreuse in spring. The oval leaves are highly ornamental and remain bluish-green throughout the winter. It produces light green capsules with creamy white blush from early fall to late winter, which fade to black over time. The fruit can be messy if allowed to drop on the lawn or walkways, and may require occasional clean-up. The smooth gray bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Landscape Attributes

Autograph bush is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting birds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Autograph bush is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• Windbreaks and Shelterbelts
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Autograph bush will grow to be about 20 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 15 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 3 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. This plant will benefit from an application of bonemeal and/or mycorrhizal fertilizer at the time of planting. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is native to parts of North America, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets.

Autograph bush makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Its large size and upright habit of growth lend it for use as a solitary accent, or in a composition surrounded by smaller plants around the base and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.