Roella ciliata
“Blue Eyed Roella”

One of my favorite new babies of 2003! Once I figured out what it needed, it was the most rewarding thing & everyone wanted to know what it was. An evergreen shrublet to 20” tall, this native of South Africa’s Cape blooms from Spring to Fall bearing stemless, yummilicious, 1.5”, cup-like stars with dark purple blotches that face upward. The foliage is bright green & needleish & held densely on the low, tightly branching stems. If you deadhead it, it blooms like crazy – up to 30 flowers at a time. Roella ciliata responds well to very well drained soil with a nice top dressing of compost. It looked best with some Summer water the first year. I’m guessing, based on its native habitat, it will not need Summer water in year 2. Excellent in a container. Note: Color varies from white to purple.