Commonly known as ‘Honeybell Bush’
This is a South African evergreen shrub growing to around 6-10ft with a similar spread. Its great attribute is its ability to flower in August and September with copious fragrant flowers. We have even seen this plant flowering in our walled garden in February.
Normally this plant is regarded as a tender greenhouse plant but it grows perfectly well on the Isle of Wight and in sheltered coastal locations in the West Country. Our plants have happily survived -5°C for brief periods given full shelter from cold winds.
Our plants grow beside a Chilean podocarpus and the long narrow dark green leaves of F. lanceolata certainly do have a similarity to the podocarpus.
The flowers appear in terminal panicles 2-4in long and, individually, from the terminal leaves. The tubular flowers are yellow or creamy white outside and a richer yellow within. Sometimes the flowers have a pink tip.
F. lanceolata is easily propagated from cuttings of semi ripe new growth and is certainly a plant which few of your gardening friends will have ever seen.
