Now this is one of my all time loves! Convolvulus Cneorum Family: Convolvulaceae
Mind you we are talking about a relative of the threaded bindweed - Convolvulus arvensis, the one we all wish Creation had not invented!
In fact the flowers are quite similar, maybe a touch stiffer or fuller, but here the resemblances end.
The C. Cneorum is a very elegant round shrub, with half woody branches and masses of silky and silvery leaves.The texture is lovely and so smooth that you want to stoke and caress it every time you pass by.
It grows into a globular shape with very little effort - maybe a short trimming is enough. And what a growth! A well established Convolvulus is a real power plant, a medium sized pot can form a 1 m bush in two years.
The pale pink buds open into porcelain white flowers, generally produced in late spring, but when the plant is in a well suited position it can flower sporadically for longer periods.
It performs best in sites with well drained soils and full sun and requires some winter protection from extreme cold in areas above the Mediterranean.
Otherwise it does not require any special cares, some liquid or organic fertilizer is welcomed, but otherwise this hard working fellow is not affected by any type of plagues - and this alone is a reason to love and respect it!
The Convolvulus Cneorum does a great job when planted wherever you need a big silvery cushion, between roses or in borders, together with dark scarlet blooms or anything that needs a quiet , low key surrounding - think about all those black flowers we talked about some time ago.
Personally I love it in pots - just because it makes such perfect silver balls - which stay attractive way after they got out of bloom! In fact, in mild climate areas it is quite showy even during the winter period. The velvety texture and the subtle shade of silver green makes them suitable for any spot that requires a plant with architectural qualities. Besides that it is such a fuzz free plant when compared to the lovely but not so easy to handle box plants.
Mind you we are talking about a relative of the threaded bindweed - Convolvulus arvensis, the one we all wish Creation had not invented!
In fact the flowers are quite similar, maybe a touch stiffer or fuller, but here the resemblances end.
The C. Cneorum is a very elegant round shrub, with half woody branches and masses of silky and silvery leaves.The texture is lovely and so smooth that you want to stoke and caress it every time you pass by.
It grows into a globular shape with very little effort - maybe a short trimming is enough. And what a growth! A well established Convolvulus is a real power plant, a medium sized pot can form a 1 m bush in two years.
The pale pink buds open into porcelain white flowers, generally produced in late spring, but when the plant is in a well suited position it can flower sporadically for longer periods.
It performs best in sites with well drained soils and full sun and requires some winter protection from extreme cold in areas above the Mediterranean.
Otherwise it does not require any special cares, some liquid or organic fertilizer is welcomed, but otherwise this hard working fellow is not affected by any type of plagues - and this alone is a reason to love and respect it!
The Convolvulus Cneorum does a great job when planted wherever you need a big silvery cushion, between roses or in borders, together with dark scarlet blooms or anything that needs a quiet , low key surrounding - think about all those black flowers we talked about some time ago.
Personally I love it in pots - just because it makes such perfect silver balls - which stay attractive way after they got out of bloom! In fact, in mild climate areas it is quite showy even during the winter period. The velvety texture and the subtle shade of silver green makes them suitable for any spot that requires a plant with architectural qualities. Besides that it is such a fuzz free plant when compared to the lovely but not so easy to handle box plants.
