Colletia hystrix Rosea - as can be seen - is a very thorny shrub, which has pretty pink flowers in autumn. The plant is virtually devoid of 'normal' foliage.
As a physical barrier against unwanted intruders, the Colletia stand alone! The spikes are as vicious as they look.
Colletia hystrix is late summer to autumn flowering, and from a distance it is a pink haze. The flowers - whilst not individually large - or spectacular - are plentiful. The Colletia will grow almost anywhere, and as its lack of normal foliage suggests, it is quite happy in dry places.
Prune
- with care and good gloves - in late winter
spring if needed. Clipping, rather than pruning,
is successful for a bushy shrub. If it gets out of
hand - it will grow to a couple of metres or so -
then a hard prune will be tolerated.
Cuttings should be taken with care! Short shoots in late summer normally root quite successfully.
