Corokia cotoneaster Little prince

Corokia cotoneaster Little Prince is interesting for its original structure, with tangled branching, which perfectly highlights its grey-purple foliage and abundant, fragrant, yellow spring flowers. Extremely robust, moderately hardy and tolerant of drought and sea spray, this plant of New Zealand origin is perfectly suited to coastal gardens. Its personality will be highlighted in a low hedge, or to form a large ground cover, in contrast to other shrubs chosen for their soft and rounded texture.

Corokia cotoneaster Little Prince belongs to the Argophyllaceae family. Its ancestor, the cotoneaster corokia, is endemic to New Zealand where it is found in various environments, in plains or in mountain rocks, but always in a rather dry climate. Its cold resistance is around -8 to -10°C (17.6 to 14 °F) at its peak for a mature specimen. This Little Prince selection is more compact, with the bush reaching an average height of 1.50m (4 ft 11 in) and a spread of 1.20m. Its growth is quite slow, its habit bushy, dense, and generally rounded. The branches are slender, whitish to grey with regularly angled branching, creating a sort of mist. These stems bear a few small, leathery leaves shaped like spoons, measuring from 0.5 to 2cm (0.2 to 0.8 in) in length, which persist if the winter is not too harsh. Their size varies depending on the growing conditions: in poor soil, they are smaller. Their colour is a dark green tinged with blackish purple on top, with a whitish and felted underside. Flowering takes place from May to June in the form of small, fragrant, star-shaped flowers with five petals, 1 to 2cm (0.4 to 0.8 in) in diameter, which appear solitary or in clusters of four at the axil of the leaves. These nectar-rich yellow flowers are followed by fruits that birds enjoy at the end of the season.

Corokia cotoneaster Little Prince can be used as an informal or trimmed hedge, ground cover, on a slope, or even to form bonsai. This extraordinary plant integrates well into a dry Mediterranean or contemporary-style garden. It can be associated with cistus, ballota, and phlomis with their velvety foliage. The dark foliage of dwarf conifers also forms an interesting contrast with its cloudy vegetation. In regions with harsh winters, it can be grown in a deep pot and overwintered in a cold greenhouse or in a low heated conservatory. Its branches can also be used in floral arrangements.