RAPHIOLEPIS umbellata

Fabulous shrub, perennial and evergreen, with a typical rounded and compact habit, native to Korea and Japan: it can slowly grow up to a height and width of about 1.50 m or a little more. The stems, erect and expanded, bear beautiful leathery, alternate, smooth, glabrous and shiny leaves, obovate in shape, with smooth margins and obtuse apex, dark green in color, sometimes edged with red. From late spring to early summer, the plant is covered with numerous white five-petal flowers gathered in showy inflorescences at the apex of the previous year's branches. In autumn, bunches of blue-blackish berries follow, which remain on the plant during the autumn and winter months.

Easy to grow rustic plant of, it needs a sunny or semi-shady position even if in the latter case both growth and flowering will be reduced. It is suitable to any type of soil even if it prefers moist, rich and well-drained ones. Once established and developed it tolerates drought but benefits from some summer irrigation. It tolerates frost if it is not intense and prolonged, and in colder areas it is best to place this plant in places sheltered from the wind. in spring, after flowering, you can remove dry, damaged and messy branches and root out the thicker parts. Good plant for pots and containers; in the ground it can be used as a unique specimen to give color to a corner of the garden or as a very original hedge.