Silk-tassel Bush

Garrya elliptica James Roof

• Position: full sun or partial shade
• Soil: moderately-fertile, well-drained soil
• Rate of growth: average
• Flowering period: December to February
• Hardiness: frost hardy (needs winter protection in cold areas)
  
  Long, silvery catkins up to 20cm long, shine out among glossy, wavy-edged, dark green leaves throughout winter. The silken tassels of his upright, evergreen shrub make a stunning feature in the winter garden. Try it towards the back of a sunny, shrub border, against a wall or as a windbreak in coastal areas. When it has finished its display, the dark foliage makes a lovely foil for summer-flowering shrubs.

• Garden care: Cut back dead or straggly branches in April or May.
  
  
• Goes well with: Cytisus battandieri, Trachelospermum jasminoides, Alchemilla mollis, Geranium macrorrhizum 'Album', Epimedium x rubrum, Galanthus nivalis