Origin
South America
Light
Full sun
Watering
Weekly
Care
Easy
Flowering
Flowering
Outdoor
Lilas de Perse
Fragrant mauve clusters in spring, generous shade in summer, and yellow beads that hang on all winter.
Care Profile
A guide to ensuring your botanical companion thrives.
Origin
India
Light
Full sun
Watering
Rarely
Maintenance
Easy
The tree of courtyards and prayer beads
From India and China, it spread through every warm region for one simple reason: it grows fast, resists drought and casts shade within three or four years.
Its hard stones, naturally pierced by a channel, were long threaded into prayer beads; the fruits themselves, however, are toxic to people and livestock.
"Shade in three years, and beads for a rosary."
01
Styling Tip 01
Toxic fruit
Don't plant it in a play area or beside a paddock: the berries are dangerous if swallowed.
02
Styling Tip 02
Very fast growth
A metre a year in early years: prune in late winter to balance the framework before it gets heavy.
03
Styling Tip 03
Self-seeds readily
The stones germinate freely beneath the tree: pull seedlings before they root deeply.
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Origin
South America
Light
Full sun
Watering
Rarely
Care
Easy
Flowering
Flowering