Adinandra

This is likely the first introduction to cultivation of this curious Theaceae or Tea family member from our collection just north of the Vietnam border in Guangxi Province. This is serious 99% pure Plant Crack and even we have to cut this stuff to be able to function well enough to do things like buy groceries. An evergreen shrub to 10' in the wild with long, slightly drooping olive-green leaves prominently hirsute especially along the margins. Lamentably insignificant cream flower whose petals barely exert themselves beyond the green sepals whose reduced number and size places this as var. glischroloma according to the Flora of China. Look beyond the transience that is flowers, if this had any to speak of, and be wowed by what is really good foliage on a very handsome shrub that will mark you as an irredeemable plant nut. The flowers give way to small black fruit. No idea how hardy this is but we are thinking zone 8 as this mountain endured a serious cold and ice event in 2008 and we saw no evidence of damage to these plants in 2010. We returned in 2012 and it is this collection that is being offered.