GENERAL DESCRIPTION

• ORIGIN: This plant, native to southern Chile, was introduced to Europe in 1848.
• CLIMATE: The plant dies at temperatures below -7.0°C, while the above-ground parts are affected at -3.0°C. Late frosts can damage young shoots and flower buds. In colder regions, this plant should be grown in pots or in a cool greenhouse. High humidity is strongly recommended. Planting in an area where mist and fog are frequent is encouraged. Excessively dry air and a windy location can significantly reduce the lifespan of this shrub.
• EXPOSURE: Partial shade.
• SOIL: Requires acidic, peaty, cool, light soil. Mulching around the base will be beneficial to prevent the roots from drying out.
• GROWTH: Slow.
• PATHOLOGY: Scale insects can infest this plant. Consequently, sooty mold can also be a problem.
• PROPAGATION: Herbaceous cuttings in June or tip cuttings in July-August, under cover, with hormones and bottom heat. Note that seeds obtained in Europe are rarely viable.
• PRUNING: It is important to prune it lightly after flowering. The branches can be lightly cut back in spring to encourage a denser shape.
• USE: This plant is grown in pots or unheated greenhouses, and outdoors only in frost-free regions. In milder climates, it can be planted in a sheltered spot and protected with mulch in winter.
• MERIT: Award for merit in gardening from the Royal Horticultural Society of England.
• NOTE: It is regularly found at nurseries and online garden centers.

GENERAL PHYSIOLOGY

• DIMENSIONS: It can reach a height of 9 m in its native country. In cultivation, it will not exceed 3 to 4 m in height.
• HABIT: Initially shrubby, it spreads out with age.

PHYSIOLOGY OF LEAVES

• SHAPE: The leaves are alternate, petiolate, oblong to lanceolate, 30 to 75 mm long, coarsely toothed. They are also leathery.
• COLOUR: Dark green. The limb is waxy and pubescent on the reverse.
• NOTE: Evergreen foliage.

PHYSIOLOGY OF FLOWERS

• PERIOD: May-September.
• FORM: The flowers are axillary, solitary or grouped in pairs, lantern-shaped, with fleshy, drooping petals, long-pedunculated.
• COLOUR: Vermilion red.
• NOTE: The shrubs flower after 5 years and the flowering lasts 6 weeks.

PHYSIOLOGY OF FRUIT

• FORM: The fruit is a capsule that opens by 3, 4 or even 5 valves and contains 3 to 4 seeds per compartment.
• NOTE: No toxicity to report. The fruits are even edible, green like a hairless kiwi, and with white pulp.