Corokia virgata Banana Royal

Corokia x virgata Banana Royal is a compact and beautifully coloured version of a little-known New Zealand bush, locally known as 'zigzag bush' due to the tangled appearance of its branches. It has small, tough leaves that are a bright yellow and is covered in spring with a constellation of small, pale yellow star-shaped, fragrant flowers. With a naturally compact habit, the plant does not require pruning. In coastal gardens, the Corokia x virgata thrives in low hedges. Moderately hardy, it is better to plant it in a pot that can be protected from severe frost in colder regions.

Corokia x virgata Banana Royal belongs to the Corokiacées family. Its ancestor is native to New Zealand and is a spontaneous hybrid between Corokia cotoneaster and C. buddleioides. 'Banana Royal' is a small, bushy shrub with a fairly dense habit and slender and angular branches that turn black over time. It reaches about 1m (3 ft 4 in) in all directions, sometimes more, depending on the growing conditions. Its somewhat sparse foliage persists in winter. It has small spoon-shaped leaves measuring 0.5 to 2cm (0.2 to 0.8 in) long, light and vibrant yellow, shiny, with varying shades of light green and a fuzzy white underside. Flowering occurs in May and takes the form of small, fragrant, star-shaped flowers with five yellow petals, measuring 1 to 2cm (0.4 to 0.8 in) in diameter, appearing either solitary or clustered in groups of four in the axils of the leaves. These flowers, once pollinated by insects, give way to small round fruits that turn red in autumn when ripe.

Corokia Banana Royal is not very hardy and will perish below -5°C. However, this shrub adapts to a wide range of soils, even poor and chalky ones, and is easy to grow both in the ground and in pots. Plant it in a low hedge, in a gravel bed, or on a slope where it can retain the soil. The Corokia Banana Royal also makes a beautiful standalone plant, appreciated for its unusual appearance in winter. To accompany it, you can choose, for example, a caryopteris, a Boronia, and Callirhoe involucrata.