Boronia pilosa Rose Blossom

Boronia pilosa 'Rose Blossom' is a very beautiful selection of hairy Boronia that stands out with its double flowers in a lovely range of pink. Little known to gardeners, Boronias are charming Australian shrubs that are very floriferous but sensitive and require delicate cultivation. This one resembles a heath shrub, with its upright, branched habit and delicate foliage. It prefers acidic soil, like heather, but the comparison ends there. In reality, it is a plant related to citrus trees, which is most often cultivated in a pot to be brought indoors during winter in an unheated greenhouse or conservatory.

Boronia pilosa 'Rose Blossom' is a shrub from the Rutaceae family, native to southeastern Australia where it grows in woods and high-altitude meadows on rocky soils. It has rapid growth, with an upright, dense and well-branched habit. After 3 years of cultivation, it reaches approximately 60-70cm (23.6-27.6in) in height and 50-60cm (19.7-23.6in) in width. Its stems are hairy, and they bear small pinnate leaves, divided into 3, 5, 7 or 9 thick and narrow leaflets, sometimes hairy, of medium green colour. Flowering occurs in April-May. The small flowers are grouped in clusters of three to six in the axils of the leaves or at the ends of the branches. They are initially a fairly deep pink, but fade over time.

Boronia pilosa 'Rose Blossom' does not tolerate temperatures below -5°C (23 °F), cannot withstand limestone or very dry soils, and prefers partial shade or full sun. It is safe to say that this shrub has some requirements that must be respected in order to succeed in its cultivation and enjoy its magnificent flowering. Outside of certain well-targeted coastal areas, it seems preferable to cultivate it in a pot, where the substrate and winter conditions can be controlled. In the garden, it can be associated, for example, with Galvezia speciosa, Gomphostigma virgatum, Diosma, broom Genistas, or white, pink, or red heath shrubs. On the terrace or balcony, it can be surrounded by Cape Plumbago, with its long blue flowering, a Tibouchina, or a common myrtle with double flowers.