With a name like this you would be expecting something unusual and you would be right!
This is a Mexican plant which, surprisingly, will tolerate up to -10°C of frost. If you grow it outside it grows well in a well drained fertile soil in full sun. However we have found it performs perfectly well in shade as well.
The most attractive feature of this peculiar semi woody perennial is that below each pair of leaves it has large pale green stipules (appendages) which have prominent purple veining. This makes it look unusual and eye catching when in growth.
The flowers are in racemes of three to ten pea like yellow flowers with a purple keel appearing usually in September or October. In milder areas it is often in flower by July. The maximum height of the plant can be 4ft or so and it is clump forming.
In colder areas of the country it is best grown in a large pot in the greenhouse and mulched for safety even inside. It is easy to root from cuttings of new growth taken early in the season.