Japanese name: アゲラティナ リグストリナ Scientific name:Ageratina ligustrina
[Overview]
An evergreen shrub 4–5 m tall.
It branches well and forms a dome-shaped mass.
The stems are often tinged with reddish purple.
The leaves are simple and opposite, elliptic to lanceolate, about 10 cm long.
The leaf margins are serrated.
The leaves have petioles.
Many white to pink flower heads are borne in corymbs at the branch tips.
The flower heads consist only of tubular flowers.
The fruit is an achene with a white pappus.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by cuttings.
It is safest to keep it at 5°C or above over winter.
It prefers sun and soil that is both well drained and moisture-retentive.
When planting in the ground, avoid places exposed to strong afternoon sun or places that dry out.
Take care not to let it run out of water: for potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless summer brings a long spell of sunny weather and the soil dries out.
Too much fertilizer makes it leggy and reduces flowering, so no further fertilizer is particularly necessary if a base fertilizer is applied, but for potted plants diluted liquid fertilizer may be given in spring and autumn.
There are no particular pests or diseases.
