Lakeshore Garden Centres Plant Finder

Other Names:  Seminole Balsamo, Shiny-leaved Wild Coffee

Description:

A dwarf, compact wild coffee, featuring ridged, dark green foliage that is very glossy; flower clusters appear primarily in spring and summer, followed by beautiful, showy berries that contrast the foliage; a great garden or container plant

Ornamental Features

Little Psycho™ Wild Coffee features subtle clusters of white flowers at the ends of the branches from late winter to early summer, which emerge from distinctive chartreuse flower buds. Its attractive glossy narrow leaves remain dark green in colour with curious grayish green undersides throughout the year. It features an abundance of magnificent scarlet berries from early summer to mid fall. The fruit can be messy if allowed to drop on the lawn or walkways, and may require occasional clean-up. The tan stems can be quite attractive.

Landscape Attributes

Little Psycho™ Wild Coffee is a multi-stemmed evergreen perennial with a mounded form. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other garden plants with finer foliage.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and can be pruned at anytime. It is a good choice for attracting birds, bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Little Psycho™ Wild Coffee is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Little Psycho™ Wild Coffee will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. Although it is technically a woody plant, this slow-growing plant can be expected to behave as a perennial in our climate if planted outdoors over the winter, usually regrowing from its base (crown) the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat. This is a self-pollinating variety, so it doesn't require a second plant nearby to set fruit.

This plant does best in partial shade to 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 a low-water garden or xeriscape application. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selection of a native North American species.

Little Psycho™ Wild Coffee is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants 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 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.

This plant is not reliably hardy in our region, and certain restrictions may apply; contact the store for more information.