LEUCOPHYLLUM langmanae

Delightful small shrub, perennial and semi-deciduous, with a rounded and compact habit, slow growth and Mexican origins: when fully developed it can reach 1.50 m in height and width. Lignified and densely branched from the base, it has thin and erect stems on which small ovate leaves of grey-green color and velvety consistency are applied alternately. In summer and until late autumn, after dry days and intense heat and generally associated with sudden changes in atmospheric pressure, which is why this plant has earned the common name of "barometer plant", suddenly and explosively they arrive abundantly blooms: the flowers, small and of a beautiful pink shade that is enhanced by the contrast with the light foliage, develop from the axils of the leaves in the apical parts of the branches and literally cover the entire crown.

A sunny position is recommended with any soil, even poor and arid, as long as it is well drained. The resistance to long periods of even intense drought is excellent, such as that in the presence of saline winds in areas close to the sea. At the vegetative restart in spring, a pruning intervention may be convenient which, together with the removal of dry, broken, old or bulky parts, shortens the various stems giving them a new regular and thicker shape and stimulating a more generous subsequent flowering. It can live well on terraces and balconies as long as it is guaranteed capacious containers and with perfect drainage; in the open ground in the garden it can be used both as an isolated spot and, in sequence, and perhaps alternated with other essences with contrasting foliage and blooms, to create mixed borders with simple maintenance and a decidedly decorative effect.