Diosma hirsuta 'Pink Fountain' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Confetti Bush (Breath of Heaven)

Diosma hirsuta 'Pink Fountain'

£16.99
Protect from hard frostSun-lovingEvergreenLoved by pollinators
Pot size
17cm / 2L £16.99

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Description

The Diosma hirsuta 'Pink Fountain', widely loved as the confetti bush or breath of heaven, is a compact evergreen shrub that brings a soft, romantic haze of colour to sunny borders and patio pots. Its fine, heath-like foliage is aromatic when brushed, releasing a fresh, resinous scent, and from late winter into spring the whole plant is smothered in masses of tiny pink star-shaped flowers. The effect is exactly as the common name suggests, a fountain of confetti that lifts the garden at the very start of the season.

Native to the Western Cape of South Africa, this is a borderline hardy shrub rated around RHS H3, so it is happiest in milder, coastal and city gardens with a warm, sheltered aspect. In colder areas it is best grown in a container that can be moved to a frost-free spot over winter. Give it sharp drainage and full sun and it rewards you with year-round fine texture and a long, early flowering display that few other shrubs can match. Explore more borderline-hardy treasures in our hardy exotics collection.

Water regularly through the first growing season to settle the roots, then ease off, as an established plant is pleasingly drought-tolerant and thrives on a sunny bank or in a dry, gravel-style planting. Its compact habit and evergreen fine texture make it ideal for growing in pots on a patio or by a sunny door, and it is a natural choice for mild coastal gardens. The nectar-rich spring flowers are a welcome early feast for bees and other pollinators.

Prune only lightly, trimming straight after flowering to keep the neat fountain shape; never cut back hard into old bare wood, as Diosma will not reshoot from it. For more on how tender exotics behave through the British seasons, see our what to expect guide. Every plant is nursery-grown, hand-selected for a full, healthy shape and carefully packed to arrive in top condition.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Confetti Bush (Breath of Heaven)

Plant me in full sun and protect me when hard frost threatens.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Confetti Bush (Breath of Heaven)

Diosma hirsuta 'Pink Fountain' needs full sun or partial shade and well-drained soil. It is half-hardy to around −5°C and needs protection from hard frost.

Good for

Coastal & Exposed Dry & Gravel Gardens Pots & Containers Wildlife & Pollinators

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H3 · Semi-hardy · down to around −5°C

borderline hardy (RHS H3); protect from hard frost or grow in a pot you can shelter over winter.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeSouth-facingWest-facingSheltered

full sun in a warm, sheltered spot; it tolerates a little light shade but flowers best in sun.

Soil

LoamSandWell-drainedAcid pHNeutral pH

light, free-draining, neutral to acid soil; sandy or gravelly ground suits it well, and it dislikes wet winter roots.

Watering

Water regularly through the first growing season to settle the roots, keeping the soil moist but never sodden. Once established it is notably drought-tolerant and needs little extra water except in long dry spells or when grown in pots. A light ericaceous or balanced feed in spring keeps growth healthy. Read moreShow less

Water regularly through the first growing season to settle the roots, keeping the soil moist but never sodden. Once established it is notably drought-tolerant and needs little extra water except in long dry spells or when grown in pots. A light ericaceous or balanced feed in spring keeps growth healthy.

Mature size

Height0.6-1 m
Spread0.6-1 m

Reaches full size in 5-10 years

Growth habit

Bushy

Flowering

Feb-May · Pink

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Evergreen

Pruning

Trim lightly straight after the late winter to spring flowering to keep the neat, mounded fountain shape. Only cut into soft, leafy growth; never prune back into old, bare wood, as Diosma will not reshoot from it.

Toxicity

No reported toxicity to people or pets and generally considered non-toxic. The aromatic foliage is best not eaten, and the resinous sap may mildly irritate sensitive skin.

Native range

S. Africa (W. Cape)

Family

Rutaceae

Also known as

Diosma hirsuta 'Pink Fountain'

Genus

Diosma
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you care for Diosma hirsuta 'Pink Fountain'?

Diosma 'Pink Fountain' is refreshingly low maintenance. Grow it in full sun in light, free-draining soil, water regularly through its first season and then keep it on the dry side once established. Trim lightly after flowering and protect it from hard frost. For more on growing borderline-hardy shrubs through the British seasons, see our what to expect guide.

Is Diosma hirsuta 'Pink Fountain' hardy in the UK?

It is borderline hardy, rated around RHS H3, so it tolerates only light frost to roughly -5C. In mild, coastal or city gardens it can stay outdoors year-round in a sheltered, sunny spot, but in colder or inland areas it is safest grown in a pot that can be moved somewhere frost-free over winter.

Where should I plant Diosma 'Pink Fountain'?

Choose a warm, sheltered, sunny position with sharp drainage, such as a raised bed, gravel garden or the foot of a sunny wall. It is a lovely choice for mild coastal gardens and dislikes cold, exposed sites and heavy, wet soil.

When and how do you prune Diosma?

Prune only lightly, and always straight after flowering in spring. Trim the soft, leafy growth to keep the neat, mounded shape, but never cut back into old, bare wood, because Diosma will not reshoot from it.

Can you grow Diosma in pots?

Yes, it is an excellent container plant. Its compact, evergreen habit works beautifully in a pot of gritty, free-draining compost by a sunny door or on a patio, and growing it in a pot lets you move it somewhere sheltered over winter. See more of our plants for pots.

How big does Diosma 'Pink Fountain' get?

'Pink Fountain' is naturally compact, forming a rounded, bushy mound of around 0.6 to 1 m tall and wide over several years. Its slow, tidy growth makes it easy to place in smaller borders, rockeries and containers.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
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Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

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Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

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Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Diosma hirsuta 'Pink Fountain'
£16.99