Fisherman’s plant ‘Sunset Gold’ (Diosma hirsuta ‘sunset gold’)

Diosma hirsuta ‘sunset gold’ (Confetti Bush ‘Sunset Gold’) is a compact shrub with evergreen and feathery foliage of a very bright golden-green and abundant and endless pinkish-white flowers. Its foliage, as fine as that of a heather, gives off a crisp lemony perfume. This beautiful South African sub-shrub is very well adapted to dry and poor soils, but unfortunately it is not very rustic. In Europe it is fully grown outside only on the Mediterranean coast or in mild ocean climate. In most of our regions, it should be grown in pots in terraces or balconies in the warmer season spend the winter sheltered from the cold.

Plant profile

‘Sunset Gold’ forms a miniature shrub of a more modest size than the cultivar ‘Pink Fountain’. Its port is very bushy, dense and slightly spread. It reaches about 40 cm high and 50 cm in spread. Its soft, brown stems bear golden foliage on the young shoots, becoming green over time. The leaves, very thin, 7-10mm long, are very hairy and aromatic. Flowering is very long and takes place from February-March to June-July, depending on the climate, and lasts about 4 months. Flowers are composed of 5 petals and 5 stamens. Their color is a slightly retouched white of pale pink. They often turns to soft pink at the end of the flowering period producing aromatic fruits, containing 5 small black seeds.

How to plant

Diosma Sunset Gold is a very beautiful dry and poor ground plant, very useful for structuring the decor of a seaside garden, in a large rock or drained massif. It will only grow well outdoors in our regions where winter temperatures do not drop below -5 ° C for brief periods. It will be associated for example with plants such as cistus, rosemary, lavender or thyme in a mild climate. It can also be planted in a small persistent hedge.

Diosma hirsuta is also known as the fisherman’s plant, as the fishermen, when returning from fishing, used to rub their hands in lemon-scented foliage to eliminate the smell of fish.