Arcterica nana ("Komebatsugazakura")

Japanese name: コメバツガザクラ （米葉栂桜）
Scientific name: Arcterica nana

[Overview]
An evergreen small low shrub growing on gravelly ground in high mountains, forming colonies with Ganko-ran, Mine-zuo and others.
The stems creep along the ground, and the upper part rises to a height of 5–15 cm.
Leaves are simple, in whorls of 3, elliptic, 0.5–1 cm long and 0.3–0.5 cm wide, with entire margins and a leathery texture; there are glandular dots at the leaf tip, and the leaf margins roll toward the underside.
Flowers are borne in threes at the branch tips, or sometimes three racemes emerge and the flowers are whorled in threes.
The flowers are white and urn-shaped, shallowly 5-lobed at the tip, and face downward.
Each flower has 1 bract and 2 bracteoles.
There are 10 stamens.
The calyx is divided into 5 lobes to the base and is often tinged with red.
The fruit is a globose capsule.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed, by division, or by cuttings.
It suits cool regions.
Use well-drained soil such as Kanuma soil.
It prefers a sunny location, but in warm regions it is best kept cool in summer in a well-ventilated place in partial shade.
For potted plants, from spring to autumn water thoroughly when the soil surface dries, and in winter water so that the soil does not dry out too much.
In summer, water in the evening after the temperature has dropped.
For plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
Apply fertilizer at planting or repotting, and also place slow-release fertilizer on the soil in spring and autumn, taking care that no fertilizer remains in summer.
Aphids can occur.

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