BUPLEURUM fruticosum

Very rustic perennial and evergreen shrub, fast growing and a dense and regular habit. It is native to the Mediterranean basin. At its maximum development, it can grow 2 m tall and large. Branched and woody since the base, it has numerous rigid, erect and thin stems, with a characteristic brownish bark, which dividing repeatedly and orienting in every direction gives the plant a rounded, globose, hemispherical shape. The leaves, alternate, leathery and glabrous, slightly petiolate, elliptic-lanceolate-shaped, with smooth margins, acute apex and showy median vein, are glossy and dark green on the upper page and opaque and gray-green on the lower one. If wrinkled, they give off a characteristic scent. In summer, despite the hottest heat, abundant umbrella-shaped inflorescences appear in the terminal part of the branches, composed of tiny yellowish flowers with a fleshy appearance. In autumn, if the plant is fertilized, elongated and ribbed fruits develop from the flowers; they are brownish and full of seeds, which are able to guarantee an easy diffusion of this plant in nature.

It prefers bright and sunny positions or at least partial shade; it adapts to any type of soil but prefers poor and dry ones and above all well-drained ones. It tolerates both the saltiness typical of the sea winds of coastal locations as well as prolonged periods of drought. It bears minimum winter temperatures only a few degrees below zero, therefore, where the cold can be intense and long-lasting, plant it in a sheltered position, or give it a mulch at the foot with leaves and straw, or ensure it is sheltered in a cool and bright environment in winter. Between autumn and the end of winter, we can eliminate dry, broken, old or bulky parts; on the same occasion we can shorten the various stems, even by 50%, to allow a more dense and harmonious growth and increase the subsequent summer blooms. It is suitable to large pot and container cultivation, on terraces, balconies and hanging gardens in general. In the open ground, it can be used as a free spot; or, arranging several plants in succession, it can create an unusual green barrier, maybe placing it together with other Mediterranean essences with the same needs.