{"product_id":"baccharis-trimera","title":"Baccharis trimera","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eBaccharis trimera\u003c\/strong\u003e, known across South America as \u003cstrong\u003eCarqueja\u003c\/strong\u003e and sometimes offered as \u003cstrong\u003eBaccharis Green Coral\u003c\/strong\u003e, is one of the most arresting textural shrubs you can grow. It is an erect, almost leafless plant whose whole personality comes from its flattened, bright green winged stems. These photosynthetic cladodes branch and stack like living coral, giving a sculptural outline that holds interest in every month of the year. If you want something genuinely unusual for an \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/architectural-foliage\"\u003earchitectural planting scheme\u003c\/a\u003e, this is a real collector's piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBotanically it belongs to the daisy family, Asteraceae, and is closely allied to \u003cstrong\u003eBaccharis genistelloides\u003c\/strong\u003e, the name under which much of its UK horticultural information is listed. It is evergreen, so the green coral effect never disappears, and in late summer into autumn it carries a scattering of small, creamy white flowerheads. They are modest rather than showy, but being rich in nectar they draw bees and hoverflies, which makes it a quietly useful plant for \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/plants-for-pollinators\"\u003ewildlife and pollinators\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCarqueja is borderline hardy in the UK, rated around RHS H3, so it is happiest in milder gardens or given a sheltered, sunny spot with a warm wall and very sharp drainage. Think of it as a plant for a favoured microclimate rather than an exposed frost pocket. We suspect it may in fact prove tougher than its H3 rating suggests, as it comes from the cold highlands of South America and some growers report it taking harder frosts, but we have not yet trialled it through a British winter ourselves, so for now we treat it as borderline and would give it that bit of winter protection until it proves otherwise. In colder gardens it is easily overwintered in a pot moved to a porch or unheated greenhouse. Our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/hardy-exotics-what-to-expect\"\u003ehardy exotics what to expect\u003c\/a\u003e guide explains how these borderline exotics behave through a British year.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow and where to grow\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePosition:\u003c\/strong\u003e full sun, in a sheltered spot. The winged stems stay dense and well coloured with plenty of light.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e sharp, free-draining loam, sand or chalk. It resents winter wet, so grit or gravel worked through the planting hole pays off.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e a compact 0.5 to 1 m in height and spread, reaching full size slowly over ten to twenty years.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHardiness:\u003c\/strong\u003e RHS H3, so protect the crown in hard winters or grow it under cover in colder counties. We suspect it may prove hardier than this, but that is currently untested in our conditions.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eNaturally adapted to poor, dry ground, Baccharis trimera is impressively drought tolerant once its roots are down, which makes it a natural fit for a \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/drought-tolerant-plants\"\u003edry and gravel garden\u003c\/a\u003e or the front of a sun-baked \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/exotic-border-plants\"\u003eexotic border\u003c\/a\u003e. Its neat scale and love of sharp drainage also make it an excellent candidate for \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/plants-for-pots\"\u003epots and containers\u003c\/a\u003e, where you can move it into shelter for winter and enjoy that coral-like structure up close.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA curiosity with real presence, this Carqueja earns its place among our wider range of \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/hardy-exotics\"\u003ehardy exotics\u003c\/a\u003e. Every plant is nursery grown, selected for strong, well-coloured stems and a healthy root system, and packed with care to arrive in superb condition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"GROW TROPICALS","offers":[{"title":"19cm \/ 3L","offer_id":58041376539007,"sku":"BACCTRIM19","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0361\/9645\/0348\/files\/bacc.jpg?v=1784905117","url":"https:\/\/growtropicals.com\/products\/baccharis-trimera","provider":"GrowTropicals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}