Deeproot Plant Base Online

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botanical name:
Mackaya bella

common name: Forest Bell Bush, River Bell
synonyms: Asystasia bella
family: Acanthaceae

characteristics: shrub, evergreen
height: 3.00m width: 2.00m
growth rate: fast
growth habit: bushy
leaf colour: dark green
flower colour: white
main period of interest: Spring

growing conditions: part shade, shade, moist soil, sandy soil
prefered soil pH: acid
minimum temperature: 2°C
USDA zone: 10 to 11

description:
Attractive sub-tropical evergreen shrub or small tree. Slender branches and opposite, toothed, glossy dark green leaves. Terminal racemes of bell-shaped, papery, white or mauve tinted flowers, usually with dark purple-red veining.

cultivation:
Moist, well drained, humus-rich soil in part shade. Keep fairly dry in winter. Not frost hardy and needs a mild climate, or can be grown in a cool conservatory. Can be grown in a container.
Prune to encourage tidy, bushy growth or control size.

propagation:
From seed or semi-ripe cuttings.

usage:
Shaded shrub borders in mild climates or in a container as a conservatory plant.

other notes:
Native to South Africa, found in wooded areas often near streams.
The genus Mackaya was named after James Townsend Mackay, author of Flora Hibernica.