Boronia heterophylla Ice Charlotte

Boronia heterophylla 'Ice Charlotte' is a beautiful variety of Boronia with variegated foliage that will charm with its generous, spectacular, and truly luminous white flowering. It is a bush with the appearance of a large heather, adorned with fine evergreen and aromatic foliage, which is covered in bell-shaped pendant flowers in spring and summer. If you have a garden located in a mild coastal region, this Boronia should thrive in acidic soil in the ground. As it performs very well in pots, gardeners in more continental climates can admire it on the terrace throughout the summer, pick its flowers to create delightful scented bouquets, and bring it indoors during winter in a lightly heated greenhouse or conservatory.

Boronia heterophylla 'Ice Charlotte' originates from a bush in the Rutaceae family, native to the extreme south of Western Australia. Among the hundred species belonging to the genus Boronia, this is undoubtedly the one best suited to cooler climates. Its species name, heterophylla, refers to its small leaves with variable appearance, sometimes entire, sometimes finely cut. Growing quite rapidly, reaching its adult size in 3 years, this bush has an upright habit, generally oval, and will reach an average height of 1.20m (3ft 11in) with a spread of 1m. It develops thin ascending branches, branching almost at every node along their entire length, almost parallel to each other. They bear narrow and pointed leaves, of variable shape, which emit a peppery aroma when crushed. The flowering, particularly long-lasting, occurs in spring and summer. A multitude of flowers appear in the axils of the leaves, solitary or grouped in small clusters. They are small pendulous bell-shaped flowers, 1cm (0.4in) in size, composed of 4 waxy-looking white petals. They are pleasantly fragrant. During fruit formation, the petals close and persist for a long time, enveloping the fruit until it ripens. This specificity gives the illusion of an endless flowering.

Boronia heterophylla 'Ice Charlotte' does not tolerate frost below -5/-6°C (23/21.2 °F), does not tolerate limestone or dry soils, and prefers sun. Its requirements are clear and must be respected to succeed in its cultivation and enjoy its magnificent flowering. Outside of certain well-targeted areas of our Atlantic coast, 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 'Pink Fountain', broom Genista, or white, pink, or red heather. On the terrace or balcony, it can be surrounded by Plumbago du Cap, with its long blue flowering, a Tibouchina, or a Myrtus communis 'Flore Pleno'. Its spikes of small, fragrant, bright white flowers work wonders in country-style bouquets!