Lomatia ferruginea

Lomatia ferruginea.
Beautifuly detailed geometrically shaped evergreen leaves are held stiffly at a tangent to the branches, the arch slightly and are covered in rust coloured hairs when they first emerge. It forms an upright shrub or small tree in it's native Chile where it grows in temperate rain forests, sometimes being the dominant species. It produces small yellow and cerise flowers in mid summer which have a subtle scent. 
This unusual shrub is hardy down to -8c for short perods without sustaining damage, temperatures below this will burn the foliage and perhaps the tips of the branches and below about -12c the plant will probably be killed. Lomatia are members of the Protea family and prefer to grow in poor soil, they should under no circumstances be fed with nitrogen based fertilizer, and should do without feeding completely. The leaves of L.ferruginea will grow a little larger in semi shade but the plant will be more vigorous and floriferous in full sun, it will not tolerate heavy shade.