Phillyrea angustifolia

Description

Quick Facts
– Botanical Name: Phillyrea angustifolia
– Common Name: Narrow-leaved Mock Privet
– Plant Type: Evergreen shrub / small tree
– Mature Height: Approx. 2-3m (easily kept lower with clipping)
– Mature Spread: Approx. 2-3m
– Flowering Period: April to May
– Flower Colour: Small, creamy-white, lightly fragrant flowers
– Fruit: Small blue-black berries in autumn, not always produced
– Foliage Colour: Narrow, glossy, dark green leathery leaves
– Habit: Dense, bushy and rounded, becoming a graceful small tree with age
– Growth Rate: Slow to moderate
– Hardiness: Hardy in most gardens; best in a sheltered spot in cold areas
– Soil Requirements: Well-drained; tolerates chalk, clay and poor, dry soils
– Aspect: Full sun to partial shade; tolerates coastal conditions
– Maintenance: Low: clip once or twice a year if kept formal

Description
Phillyrea angustifolia is a refined, easy-going Mediterranean evergreen with a lovely, old-world feel. The narrow, glossy, dark green leaves form a dense, well-clothed shrub that looks smart in every season, and the small cream flowers in spring bring a soft, light fragrance.

It takes clipping beautifully, which makes it a wonderful alternative to box for hedging, balls, cones and other topiary, and it is far more tolerant of heat, drought and tricky soils. Left to grow naturally, it develops into a graceful, rounded shrub or small tree with real character.

Elegant, tough and quietly handsome, Phillyrea is an evergreen that rewards the patient gardener.

Caragh Garden Notebook

Planting:
Plant in autumn or spring in well-drained soil, adding well-rotted compost to the planting hole. Choose a sunny or lightly shaded spot, sheltered from cold, drying winds. Plant at the same depth as the pot, firm in gently, water in thoroughly and mulch. For a hedge, space plants at around 50-60cm apart.

Watering:
Water regularly through the first two growing seasons, especially in dry spells. Once established, it is very drought tolerant and needs little extra water. In containers, water when the top of the compost feels dry and make sure the pot drains freely.

Feeding:
Little feeding is needed. A balanced general fertiliser or a mulch of well-rotted compost in spring is plenty.

Seasonal Care & Tidy-Up:
Very little pruning is needed for a natural shape. To keep a formal hedge or topiary shape, clip once or twice a year, in late spring and again in late summer if needed. It regrows well from older wood after a hard prune in spring.

Pests & Problems:
Generally trouble-free and far less prone to disease than box. Waterlogged soil is the main risk, so good drainage matters. Scale insects or aphids can occasionally appear.

Design Notes:
Phillyrea angustifolia is a great choice for formal hedging, clipped balls and cones, and Mediterranean-style planting. It is a lovely, resilient replacement for box in courtyards and gravel gardens, and it pairs beautifully with lavender, olive, rosemary and ornamental grasses. It also suits large containers and coastal gardens.

Propagation:
Take semi-hardwood cuttings in late summer. For reliable form, source nursery-grown plants.