Colour in the garden in autumn is always welcome, and when it comes from one of South Africa’s most reliable sub-shrubs, what more could you ask for? When it also offers refreshing and cooling blue flowers as a change from the traditional autumn colours of rust, copper, red and orange, it is an absolute essential plant for the garden.
The most popular and widely grown species, B. obtusa, is also known as the bush violet because in full flower it is smothered with violet-blue flowers. There is, however, also a true baby-pink and a white form which is welcomed by the gardeners who follow more traditional colour schemes.
Barleria is invaluable in the border as, with its loose, informal growth habit, it fills the awkward niche between the low-growing edging plants and the taller background plantings. Its dull, slightly hairy dark green leaves with a hint of grey are restful to the eye. It can be left to its own devices and be allowed to sprawl and clamber or be trimmed into a neat hedge or border plant. It thrives in rockeries and will tolerate considerable wind so is a good coastal garden plant. It also will grow in full sun but performs well in semi-shade. It can also be grown very successfully in pots.
Stablemates
Several other barlerias are also worthy, easy-to-grow subjects. B. repens, which as its name suggests is low growing, reaches about 50 cm as it creeps over the soil or hangs down a bank. It is useful as a groundcover and comes in several colours, best known being the variety `Rosa’, with deep, cherry-red flowers. Then there is the species with royal purple flowers, ‘Purple Prince’ and the new cultivar ‘Tickled Pink’ with large magenta flowers which are offset by shiny dark leaves. Somewhat taller, reaching over a metre, are barlerias such as the white barleria, B. albostellata, the grey
Leaves of which are useful contrast, especially in dry regions. The rather bristly, yellow-flowered Lowveld barleria, B. rotundiflora, is suitable for tropical areas.
Undemanding
Barleria ask little of the gardener apart from occasional watering during dry spells and a good trim after flowering to keep the plant compact and tidy. They are readily available as well-grown plants but often seed themselves in gardens, and can also be propagated from slips, taken in spring.You may also find, when tidying up the garden in autumn, sections which have developed roots where they have come into contact with the ground. These can be carefully dug out after being separated from the parent plant and planted elsewhere.
Barleria are fast growing and will thrive when planted in well-prepared holes, twice the size of the container in which the young plants are growing. A spring feed of a balanced fertiliser or organic pellets and follow-up feed in midsummer will ensure a good cover of flowers, but do not overdo the feeding or the plant will produce leaves at the expense of the flowers.
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