A medium shrub with soft, silvery foliage that is lovely to touch. With striking purple tubular flowers, providing a standout feature against the silver leaves. Most often a grafted plant which will be more reliable in a range of conditions and is worth every penny even when not in flower.

A stunning feature shrub that is lovely to touch and creates a beautiful contrast with other green foliage. It is beautiful both in flower and throughout the rest of the year. Can be grown in a pot – in my sub-tropical garden I have it growing in a free draining potting medium with lots of sand and perlite added and it is growing happily in a very hot and sunny spot by my front door where it can be admired.

Thrives in well-drained soils in full sun. Requires minimal watering once established. In the sub-tropics I don’t water it on days when the temperate is over 30 as it can suffer from root rot so I find it is better to keep it mostly dry in summer. In temperate and Mediterranean climates it will be easier to grow and mostly low fuss. You MUST prune it regularly when young to get a nice rounded shape. Sorry for shouting there but it really is important. Just keep snipping the tips off every few weeks until it starts to form a nice shape. Then prune after flowering to maintain dense growth. It is mostly unbothered by pests but keep an eye out for scale insects during wet periods or if you have it in a crowded position in the garden. It is less prone to problems if you have it in a sunny spot with good air flow around it.