Griselinia littoralis Emerald

Griselinia littoralis Emerald is a new variety of Griselinia from the coastal regions of New Zealand, the country of origin of this beautiful evergreen bush that is sometimes called English Holly. Dressed in emerald green foliage, shimmering in the sunlight and carried by yellow petioles in spring, with rapid growth and a very dense habit, it is resistant to summer drought and sea spray, overflowing with elegance while offering effective wind protection. Its insignificant but highly fragrant spring flowering is followed by the formation of berries on female plants, black when ripe. Its low hardiness reserves it for the mildest coastal regions. It is best grown in a large pot and stored indoors during winter in other areas.

Griselinia littoralis is a bush in the Cornaceae family, just like dogwoods. It is endemic to New Zealand, where it grows in forests along the coast up to 900m (2952 ft 10 in) altitude. While it can become a true tree with multiple trunks reaching 12m (39 ft 5 in) in height in its natural environment, it will not exceed 3m (9 ft 10 in) in height and 2.5m (8 ft 2 in) in width in gardens, and will remain even smaller in pots. The 'Emerald' cultivar is distinguished by its darker foliage. It has an upright, very bushy and dense habit, reaching approximately 3.75m (12 ft 4 in) in height and 2m (6 ft 7 in) in width at maturity. It grows very quickly in slightly acidic and deep soil, at a rate of about 30cm (11.8 in) per year. In highly alkaline soil, its growth will be significantly reduced. Its flexible trunk and branches are covered with a smooth yellow-green bark when young, becoming ochre-grey and fissured over time. The foliage is more or less evergreen depending on the severity of the winter and consists of upright, ovate, incurved leaves measuring 4 to 12cm (1.6 to 4.7 in) in length. The texture of young leaves is fine and flexible, becoming thick, almost succulent, leathery and very glossy when mature. The colour is a deep emerald green, with a very shiny finish. The May-June flowering is more abundant in full sun, but not very noticeable: it takes the form of small axillary panicles composed of about a hundred small petal-less green-yellow flowers. Although often unnoticed by our eyes, it attracts a large number of pollinating insects that gather a bountiful harvest of pollen. As this bush is dioecious, only female plants will bear fruit, provided a male plant is planted nearby. These clusters of fruits consist of small ovoid, acid-green berries, which become black when ripe and contain only one seed.

Well adapted to coastal areas, Griselinia littoralis Emerald is often used to create hedges at the edge of gardens to protect them from wind and prying eyes. It also adapts well to container cultivation, placed on a terrace or balcony. This cultivation method allows gardeners in colder regions to protect it from severe cold in an unheated greenhouse or conservatory during winter. Its height will be less significant in pots, but the plant will quickly fill the available space by spreading out. In the ground, it can also be used in a shrubbery, alone or in association with other evergreen bushes such as purple laurel, Photinia Pink Marble, Elaeagnus, evergreen Ceanothus or Pittosporum. It will also be very useful for creating a dense screen on a terrace, facing prevailing winds.