Anthyllis barba-jovis

Anthyllis barba-jovis, also known as Anthyllide Jupiter's Beard or silver bush, is a Mediterranean shrub that has its place in a dry or seaside garden. Despite its modest size, it is elegant: rather narrow, slender, and airy, it boasts beautiful silver foliage that is evergreen in winter and adorned with long-lasting, pale yellow spring flowering that is very decorative.

Anthyllis barba-jovis is part of Mediterranean flora, native to North Africa, Italy, Spain, and France where it is protected. This shrub grows on rocks beaten by strong winds laden with sea spray, and in scrublands. Its taproot, which dives deep into the soil, allows it to withstand long periods of drought once well established. Its hardiness is admirable in the stony soils it appreciates, ranging from -10 to -12°C for an adult plant. Jupiter's Beard belongs to the large family of legumes, like alfalfa and lupine.

Anthyllis barba-jovis has an upright and branching habit, columnar, measuring on average 1.20m (4 ft) in height and 60 to 80cm (24 - 32 in) in width. Its young branches are silver-grey in colour then become beige with age. The foliage persists in winter. It is composed of pinnate compound leaves, with several narrow and elongated leaflets, measuring about 1cm (0.4 in) long and 3mm (0.1 in) wide. The upper side is green while the underside is covered with fine silver bristles. This hairy covering reflects the plant's excellent adaptation to sea spray and drought. Flowering occurs from April to June. It consists of clusters of tiny vanilla yellow flowers grouped at the ends of the branches. Pollination is carried out by insects. Each pod contains only one seed.

Anthyllide Jupiter's Beard is planted in beds in a natural garden without irrigation that suits Mediterranean scrubland plants: cistus, lavenders, rosemary, thymes, oreganos, and Mediterranean heathers. Or combine this beautiful shrub with evergreen ceanothus (Concha, Skylark) that offer a magnificent blue flowering in spring. At its base you can plant e.g. Mauritanian bindweed (Convolvulus sabatius), a magnificent blue-flowered ground cover, silver basket (Cerastium tomentosum), or silver bindweed (Convolvulus cneorum) to create a silvery scene of great effect.