Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Shrubs

Myrsine africana

African boxwood

A slow-growing, half-hardy evergreen shrub to around 1.2m high, with an upright habit and small, aromatic, glossy green leaves to 2cm long. Clusters of tiny yellow-brown flowers are borne in the leaf axils in late spring; if pollinated these are followed on female plants by small pale blue berries

Other common names

Cape myrtle

Save to My plants

Buy this plant

Plant nurseries
3 suppliers

Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

10–20 years

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Primulaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy, Columnar upright
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Africa to China & Taiwan

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil in full sun or light shade. Although lime-tolerant, this species will not thrive on dry, shallow chalk. Both male and female plants are required to produce berries

Propagation

Propagate by seed, sown in containers in a cold frame in autumn, or by semi-ripe cuttings with bottom heat in summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Garden edging
Hedging and screens

Pruning

Pruning group 1 or 8; may be clipped as low hedging

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.