Other Names:  Syn. Bonjeanea hirsuta, Cytisus lotus

Description:

A low growing, evergreen sub-shrub with a woody base and soft, gray-white fuzzy foliage; white, clover-like flower clusters are held at the branch ends in summer through fall, followed by red-brown seed pods; great along walkways or spilling over rocks

Ornamental Features

Hairy Canaryflower is blanketed in stunning clusters of white flowers with pink veins held atop the branches from mid summer to late fall. It has attractive grayish green foliage edged in white with hints of silver. The tiny fuzzy pointy leaves are highly ornamental and remain grayish green throughout the winter. The fruits are showy burgundy pods carried in abundance from mid fall to late winter.

Landscape Attributes

Hairy Canaryflower is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a mounded form. 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 is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Self-Seeding

Hairy Canaryflower is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Hairy Canaryflower will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in 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 does not require much in the way of fertilizing once established. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for alkaline soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America..

Hairy Canaryflower makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the thriller plants stand out. 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.