Plant Profile
Coleonema Pulchellum
Common names: Confetti Bush, buchu, diosma, breath of heaven
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Shrub
Up to 1 m
Evergreen
Indigenous
Full Sun
Average water
Well Drained Soil
Wind Resistant
Some Frost
Coleonema pulchellum is found growing along coastal flats from Knysna to Port Elizabeth. It occurs naturally from sea level to 150 m. It flourishes along the coast and elsewhere.
It has longer leaves, and bigger flowers than the other species of Coleonema and fits in well with members of the protea family and other fynbos.
The confetti bush will get woody after a few years and should then be replaced.
The yellowing of leaves can be treated with an application of iron chelate.
Foliage
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The leaves are aromatic and needle-like and about 4 to 5 times as long (8-10 mm) as broad (0.8 mm). The petiole is 1 mm long and the teeth at the leaf tip point upwards and have an aromatic fragrance when crushed.
Aside from being an attractive garden shrub, the foliage can be used in floral arrangements as a filler.
Flower
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The flowers are solitary, terminal on short branchlets or axillary on reduced branchlets, often crowded towards the tips of the branches. The flowers are pink, often white and star-shaped (7 to 8 mm in diameter), have 5 oval petals, 5.0-5.7 mm long, each marked with a distinctive central vein.
The entire bush is covered with flowers from autumn until spring (May to October), attracting bees, butterflies and other interesting insects for its nectar and pollen.
NOTES
Phytophtera cinnamonnii, a soil-borne fungus, attacks the roots of most fynbos species. It prevents the uptake of water causing plants to die. The fungus is most active when the soil temperature is high, especially during summer. Remove infected plants and use soil mulch to reduce the soil temperature. Treat plants with a special fungicide prior to planting out. This is a precautionary measure to control the fungus and to protect adjacent plants.
