This small elegant evergreen from the Eastern United States is unfortunately basically ignored in Australia and yet it would make a good pot plant or shrub in a cool border that would replace admirably a scruffy old lacewing ridden and petal blight prone Evergreen Azalea ( I know they are botanically Rhododendrons all you pedants!).
This plant has pretty foliage on arching stems to about 1metre tall and in early summer when the spring nonsense is over it will produce terminal clusters of large waxy white Lily of the Valley style flowers that on large enough plants would make great cut flowers if you can bring yourself to pick them.
Like most plants in the Ericaceae family an acid moisture retentive soil (just like that needed by the defunct Azalea) is what you want and a cool aspect or naturally cool hill station garden would be just the ticket. I’m not suggesting this plant should be enough to have you sell up and move to “them there hills” but it could certainly be one reason!
I have lovely young plants in 6″ pots at $18.50.
