Myrtus ugni Flambeau

Myrtus ugni 'Flambeau', also known as Ugni molinae or Chilean Guava, is a small evergreen bush native to South America, preferring the freshness and mildness of oceanic climates over Mediterranean dryness. Its delicious fruit, with a flavour and aroma reminiscent of wild strawberries, was said to be a favourite of Queen Victoria. It remains largely underutilised in our gardens despite its easy cultivation in favourable climates, perhaps due to its lack of hardiness. Its late spring flowering, in the form of small pink bells, emerges from a variegated foliage of yellow and cream, which is highly aromatic and decorative throughout the year. It thrives in moist, well-drained soil with no excessive limestone, in full sun or partial shade.

Myrtus ugni, also called Eugenia ugni or Ugni molinae, is a small bush reaching 2m (7ft) in height in its natural environment, but rarely exceeds 1.1m (4ft) in all directions in our climates. It belongs to the Myrtaceae family and is found in the wild in Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina, on the irrigated slopes of the Andes and near rivers. In Europe, the most beautiful specimens grow in Irish gardens.

The 'Flambeau' cultivar, with variegated foliage, seems more resistant than the species. Its growth rate is slow and its habit is naturally dense, ramified, slightly spreading, and very bushy. The shiny, ovate, leathery, evergreen leaves emit a fragrance of strawberry and spice when crushed. They measure no more than 1.5cm (1in) long by 1cm (1in) wide, starting with a purple colour and becoming green-grey with cream and yellow variegation along the edges, with all these colours blending together. The self-fertile and highly honey-producing bush flowers generously in June. The small, globular, white to pink, fragrant flowers have 4 to 5 petals and are 1cm (1in) wide. They appear in the axils of the leaves, on the current year's shoots, and are followed by the formation of small round, fleshy, edible, and aromatic fruits from September to November. These fruits are initially dark red, lightening as they ripen. Their sweet flavour recalls that of wild strawberries, guava, and kiwi, with a resinous and spicy note. They can be eaten raw, in jam, or in pastries, and are used in the production of a Chilean liqueur called Murtado.

Hardy to about -8°C (17.6°F), Myrtus ugni 'Flambeau' is an ornamental and delicious plant in cold climates. In a greenhouse or conservatory, it can be combined with an orange tree, a Yuzu, and a mimosa to create an extremely decorative quartet, evoking landscapes with exotic charm and fragrance. In mild climates, it can be used as a low hedge - it withstands pruning well - or in a flower bed, or even in a well-sheltered orchard, among blueberries, raspberries, and May berries. It can also be planted in an evergreen hedge, accompanied by a sarcococca, a spring-flowering broom, and dwarf rhododendrons in non-limestone soil, or red-flowered bottlebrushes (Callistemon citrinus 'Splendens').