Gomphostigma virgatum (river star)

Japanese name: ゴンフォスティグマ ウィルガツム
Scientific name: Gomphostigma virgatum

[Overview]
A fast-growing evergreen shrub reaching 2.5 m tall, growing along riverbanks and watercourses in its native habitat.
The whole plant is covered with silvery hairs and appears whitish.
The bark is shallowly split lengthwise.
The branches extend radially and droop at the tips.
The leaves are simple and opposite, linear to lanceolate, 0.5–8 cm long.
The leaf margins are usually entire, but sparse low teeth sometimes appear.
There are no leaf stalks.
Inflorescences 3–15 cm long appear at the branch tips and bear fragrant white flowers about 1 cm across.
The fruit is a capsule.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings.
It is very cold-hardy and tolerates temperatures down to about -10°C.
It prefers sunny, well-drained soil.
It tolerates some dryness, but dislikes severe drought.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless sunny weather continues and the soil dries out.
It grows well when the soil holds enough moisture.
Apply slow-release fertilizer placed on the soil in spring and autumn.
Cutting it back hard after flowering encourages repeat blooming and tidies the shape.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

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