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Growing Bowkeria

Bowkeria - Growing Guide

Growing Bowkeria

This is a rare plant in cultivation which we first saw growing outside and flowering as a large spreading shrub some 6ft tall with a similar spread at Ventnor Botanic Gardens. It is now something which we grow outside as well and rate highly for its large pure vivid white clusters of calceolaria shaped (nearly ‘lobster claw’) flowers which appear in August. Certainly you can have some fun with gardening experts who have never before seen this lovely evergreen shrub.

It is a plant of South African origin which is definitely a greenhouse plant apart from the milder parts of southern and western England. It likes full sun and enjoys dry conditions and poorish soil. Coastal locations like Ventnor are perfect but a sunny spot in a walled garden is well worth a try.

This plant will produce its first flowers only a year on from being propagated from cuttings.

One for the connoisseur!