Article and photos by Andrea Durrheim
S
eeing colourful flowers in the garden is lovely, but most of us don’t have time to plant extensive borders
of annuals and bulbs. Shrubs are a low-maintenance alternative that keeps flowering from year to year,
giving you a reliable display of colour in season. Here’s a top ten of the most colourful and popular indigenous shrubs out there.
Polygala species
This is one of my favourites. With
pretty purple flowers from spring
into the summer, the ‘Bloukappie’
is almost always gorgeous. Remember that there are several species.
Polygala fruticosa in round or pointPolygala fruticosa 'Round
Leaf'
ed leafed forms usually only gets
about a meter high, but Polygala
myrtifolia is taller and has a lot of
genetic variability that gives it different leaf shapes depending on its
parentage. There’s also Polygala
virgata, an upright shrublet about
Polygala myrtifolia
1.5m tall with intensely colourful
flowers that’s best planted in
groups of three to five for maximum effect. Polygalas don’t usually
need much pruning or feeding, but
they dislike soggy soils.
Polygala virgata
Grewia
Grewia occidentalis
Also known as the Cross Berry, this
gorgeous shrub will invite birds
into your garden. The species is
also quite variable, with a variety of
growth habits and leaf shapes, so
choose one that already has a nice
shape when you plant. Grewias
also need a bit of space. They can
grow up to 10 meters tall if you let
them, but tend to have a slightly
sprawling habit. Prune out any
branches that are getting out of
hand. The best things about the
Cross Berry are its pretty flowers
and its lengthy flowering time.