Lomatia ferruginea

Lomatia ferruginea, the Rusty Lomatia, is an unusual, ornamental shrub. Native to the rainforests of Chile, it is easily grown in open ground in coastal regions, where it appreciates the mildness and relatively rainy summers. It seduces with the beauty of its young shoots covered in rusty velvet, its elegant fern-like foliage, and its beautiful summer blooms, in clusters of flowers tinted with pink and red, washed with cream and gold. Able to withstand brief frosts of -8 to -10°C (17.6 to 14 °F), it is easier to grow than its relatives, the proteas, and will thrive in well-drained soil, preferably acidic to neutral. This exotic shrub deserves to be showcased in the garden or on the patio. 

Lomatia ferruginea, sometimes called Embothrium ferrugineum, belongs to the Proteaceae family.  It is native to Argentina, southern Chile, the Andes mountain range and on the Chiloé islands where it forms small trees reaching 10m (32 ft 10 in) in height. It can be found there in forests and groves, up to 1200m (3937 ft) in altitude.  The Rusty Lomatia is evergreen, it retains its leaves all year round. It has a bushy but upright habit and grows slowly. This beautiful shrub, slightly suckering, will reach about 3m (9 ft 10 in) in height with a spread of 1.5m (4 ft 11 in) when planted in open ground and 1.5m (4 ft 11 in) in height if grown in a pot. In July-August, the surprisingly beautiful flowers appear in clusters up to 15-20cm (5.9-7.9 in) long at the axils of the leaves. These composite flowers, with 4 thin and recurved petals, are almost tricolour, predominantly bright pink and pink-red, but their visible undersides are tinged with white to yellow. In the centre of the corolla sits a long bright green style topped with an imposing stigma of the same green. The flowers give way to elongated pod like fruits which are tough and dark brown when ripe, containing flat and winged seeds. The spring shoots are covered with a velvety rust to bronze colour. They unfurl large alternate leaves, 20cm (7.9 in) long and 10cm (3.9 in) wide, which are divided into leaflets and then subdivided into thinner leaflets, somewhat like fern fronds. All these leaf segments are dark green on top, paler and velvety on the underside.

In the garden, Lomatia ferruginea deserves a prime location, in the foreground of a flowering hedge, isolated at the edge of the lawn, at the corner of a large bed, as a focal point at the end of vista or near the house, sheltered from the wind. This shrub does well in pots, which can be placed near the entrance of the house or on the patio. It can be associated with numerous acid-loving plants (Kalmia, Pieris, Rhododendrons and Camellias), or in neutral soil with hydrangeas that appreciate the same sunny conditions. It will enjoy a sheltered coastal gardens, spared from heavy frosts, ideally in a mild oceanic climate.