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Phylica pubescens (Featherhead) - Phylica pubescens is an attractive dense evergreen shrub to 4 to 5 feet tall with narrow leaves that are about 1½ inch long and are densely covered with golden hairs. The leaves become congested and joined by feather bracts that form showy flattened plumose heads hiding small whitish brow flowers from fall through late winter. The flowers though hidden do have a faint aroma of cinnamon but the real attraction of this plant are the showy golden flower bracts that catch the sunlight and glow.
Plant in full sun and irrigate little to occasionally. Tolerates seaside conditions. Hardy to temperatures down to the low 20's° F. Position this plant in an open space in the garden to catch early morning or late afternoon light.
Phylica pubescens grows in Cape Town eastwards on dry sandstone and limestone slopes. Because of the showy plumose heads, it is often mistakenly listed as Phylica plumosa, a smaller shrub that grows along the west coast north of Cape Town. Phylica pubescens is extensively used in the cut flower trade for filler foliage. We also grow the larger Phylica arborea from the Tristan da Cuhuna Islands.
The information about Phylica pubescens 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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