Lycianthes rantonnetii 'Alba'

Lycianthes rantonnetii 'Alba' is the white-flowering form of Paraguayan Potato bush - sometimes know as Blue Potato Bush. Occasionally blue-purple streaks turn up in the flowers - a genetic relic from its parentage, a curiosity that adds to its beauty. It is a strong-growing woody shrub, vigourously reaching a large size but it can only be considered half-hardy in the warmest parts of the country and is perhaps best grown in a large pot and pruned back hard at the end of each year and brought inside to a cool glasshouse for the winter. Growing it in a container is also a useful preventative measure as in can become rather leggy if left unchecked. In mild areas it can survive outside usually being cut back to the central woody core at ground level and growing back in the spring.

It is a very pollinator-friendly plant and both bees and butterflies are attracted to its flowers. Other than keeping it warm in winter it needs no special attention and will grow in any loam-based soil - even poor or depleted substrates - and prefers a sunny location.