Berzelia intermedia

Berzelia intermedia, commonly known as the  "Kolkol bush", in its native lands, is a South African shrub which is still very rare in cultivation, a plant that should appeal to collectors, gardeners fond of challenges, and the curious. Very bushy and evergreen, it somewhat resembles a large heather with its needle-like, acidic green foliage. In spring or early summer, its vegetation disappears under a mass of cream-white pompoms carried by beautiful red peduncles. In South Africa, these magnificent inflorescences are used in floristry. Unusual and fascinating, this Berzelia still has many secrets to reveal to European gardeners: grown like a protea, it should be possible to acclimatize it in a coastal garden or in a pot.

Berzelia intermedia is a perennial shrub plant of the Bruniaceae family. The genus Berzelia comprises 12 species of shrubs almost exclusively confined to the Cape region. They are plants of the fynbos, a specific vegetation formation in this Mediterranean climate region which is wet in winter and dry in summer and regularly subjected to fires. This Berzelia intermedia grows spontaneously on sandy or rocky soils, always well-drained.

Cultivation information is still scarce and, unfortunately, contradictory: some claim that the plant is hardy down to -8 or -10°C. In the wild, the plant grows naturally on sandy soils. 

Berzelia intermedia has a bushy, upright and branched habit. It can reach 2m (6 ft 7in) in its native region, but will not exceed 1m (3ft 4in) in all directions in our latitudes. Maturity is reached between 5 and 10 years. The stems are thin, branched and upright and bear short, non-prickly needle-shaped leaves arranged spirally. Flowering occurs from May to early July, depending on the climate. At the end of the branches, large inflorescences composed of numerous ball-shaped heads appear. Each head is composed of a multitude of tiny flowers with very short petals and prominent stamens. Each head is carried by a red peduncle that swells as the flowers ripen, gradually taking on a curious fleshy and waxy appearance. The colour of this flowering evolves from green to cream-white, then to pink. Numerous pollinating insects visit the flowers of this shrub. The seed-filled fruits dry over time and can persist for a long time on the branches, sometimes until the death of the shrub. The seeds are only released under certain conditions, for example after a fire. Berzelia shrubs are linked to fire ecology: they are capable of regrowing from the stump after fires, or after a frost that has destroyed vegetation if the stump is protected.

With its heather-like appearance covered in cream pompoms, the Berzelia intermedia is a rare, original, and highly structural exotic plant. It can be planted in a gravel garden, a dry garden, or a large rockery in mild climates. It can be placed alone or as part of a shrub bed composed of southern plants. Leptospermum, Melaleuca, Isopogon, Leucadendrons, and Callistemons will be good companions, as well as evergreen ceanothus and Coleonema. It prefers sheltered coastal gardens, spared from severe frosts, in very well-drained soil. Particularly suited to the Mediterranean climate, it only requires rainwater once well-rooted. It should always be planted in an open position, in full sun.