Felicia fruticosa (Shrub Aster) - This 2- to 3-foot-tall sub-shrub from South Africa has narrow green leaves and lavender flowers. For much to the year it looks like a plain green shrub but It puts on a real show in the early spring with bright violet-purple ray florets with yellow centers. The blooms stand above the foliage solitarily on slender stalks yet often cover the entire plant. It is best to prune it after it blooms.
Plant in full sun where it has medium to low water needs and is hardy down to about 25 degrees F. A very attractive small flowering shrub that was great mixed in with California natives and other mediterranean climate plants.
The genus name Felecia was given to a group of asters that had previously been in the genus Aster or Cinerea by Henri Cassini (A.H.G. de Cassini) in 1818. It has been presumed that the name honors the Italian nobleman, philosopher and scientist Fortunato Bartolomeo de Felice (1723-1789) but other possibilities are that it was named for Herr Felix, mayor of Regensburg in eastern Bavaria or it is a name derived from the Latin word 'felix, that means "cheerful" in reference to the brightly colored flowers. The specific epithet from the Latin word 'frutex' meaning "a shrub" and referencing the shrubby nature of this plant. A great plant that we grew from 1990 until 2011 but it unfortunately never sold well when not flowering and while it looked spectacular when in bloom, its short bloom period meant slow year-round sales and we discontinued producing this plant. We also previously grew the once very common Felecia amelloides, most often called the Blue Marguerite Daisy and in 2022 we started growing another species,
Felicia aethiopica 'Tight and Tidy', that is a more lush looking year-round and has a much longer flowering period.
The information about Felicia fruticosa displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant. |