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Azara dentata (Toothed Azara) - A fast growing upright evergreen shrub or small tree to 12 to 20 feet tall by 10 to 15 feet wide with an open habit but can be trimmed to be smaller and denser. It has inch to inch and a half long oval leaves that are glossy light green above and downy below with toothed margins. It also has curious small leaf-like stipules at the base of the leaf petioles. In early to mid-spring appear the fragrant yellow pompom like staminal flower heads at branch tips.
Plant in full coastal sun to shade in a decently draining soil and irrigate occasionally. Hardy to around 12° F and useful down to USDA Zone 8. This plant makes a nice screening shrub or informal hedge and responds well to pruning. Its flowers are attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds.
Azara dentata is native to Chile where it is typically found along forest margins. The genus Azara was formerly placed in the Flacourtiaceae family but is now in the enlarged willow family, the Salicaceae. The name for the genus is thought to honor the Spanish naturalist Felix de Azara and the specific epithet comes from Latin word 'dentatus' meaning "tooth" in reference to the leaf margins.
We trialed this plant in the 1990s and though we really loved its look, it was unforgiving to drying out, making it a better choice for climates a bit moister than our own and we decided not to grow it but did continue to grow Azara microphylla.
The information about Azara dentata that is displayed on this web page is based on research conducted in our nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We will also include observations made about this plant as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens that we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We also incorporate comments that we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they share cultural information that aids others growing this plant.
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