Other Names:  Bushy Matgrass, syn. Lantana alba, Lippia geminata

Description:

An ornamental shrub cultivated for its aromatic foliage and beautiful flowers; graceful, arching branches bear attractive, pointed and toothed leaves and clusters of white to violet flowers at the leaf axils; grows in full sun but prefers partial shade

Ornamental Features

Bushy Lippia features showy clusters of fragrant white flowers with pink overtones, buttery yellow eyes and lavender edges along the branches from late spring to mid fall. It has attractive dark green deciduous foliage. The fragrant pointy leaves are highly ornamental but do not develop any appreciable fall color.

Landscape Attributes

Bushy Lippia is an open multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a shapely form and gracefully arching branches. 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 bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Bushy Lippia is recommended for the following landscape applications;

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

Planting & Growing

Bushy Lippia will grow to be about 6 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 6 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 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 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. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is native to parts of North America..

Bushy Lippia makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use 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 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.