Riyadh Plants

Native to India and southeast Asia, this tall, rangy and fast-growing shrub with multi-stems can grow up to 3 metres high. It is not planted in Arriyadh as often as it used to be, but is still occasionally found on farms. The large, heart-shaped leaves are dark green with velvety undersides. Numerous, large, funnel-shaped, pinkish-lilac flowers, appearing in clusters, last only a day or two, but the shrub is an all-year bloomer. Berry-like fruits produce many seeds. A. campanulata grows in many soils, especially well in sandy soil, and requires full sun. The shrub is drought-tolerant, but wilts completely after a long period without irrigation; it is also not hardy in a spell of heavy frost. Propagation is by hardwood cuttings. Pruning and irrigation should be carried out regularly to improve the shrub’s appearance. Valuable as a dense screen or informal hedge, the lush, green foliage and bright flowers make this shrub a valuable background plant for a park or large garden, or as a contrast in a desert scheme.

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