MYRSINE africana

Entirely dioecious evergreen shrub with a compact, slow-growing habit, belonging to the Myrsinaceae family and native to the African continent. Thickly branched and woody from the base, it develops thin greyish stems with a vertical ascending bearing which over time make the plant take on a globular, rounded appearance, around 2 m tall and a little less large. The leaves, small and alternate on the branches, are simple.

It prefers open and sunny positions, even if it adapts itself to only partial shade, and is not demanding regarding the nature of the soil, requiring only its maximum permeability. After the first years of planting, it can withstand even prolonged drought conditions and withstand short periods of cold. It responds well to the saltiness of sea winds and therefore can also be used in coastal gardens. It lends itself to moderate pruning interventions to be carried out preferably in autumn in the milder climate regions or in spring in the colder ones: cutting the plants can be shaped according to the rules of topiary art. Excellent in the garden as an isolated specimen or in association with other similar essences or, in linear arrangement, to obtain both edges and hedges of great rusticity, it is also happy to use in pots or large containers on balconies and terraces.