Dorycnium

These two mediterranean plants belong to the Lotus genus. They need light, poor, and well-drained soil, are very drought tolerance (code de secheresse 4-5, according to Filippi) and tolerate frost down to -12℃ if planted correctly.

Both are supposed to have a limited lifespan but to reseed themselves easily. So far they haven’t done so in this garden.

Dorycnium hirsutum

As the name implies, Dorycnium hirsutum is a silvery-green half-shrub with hairy leaves. It’s a quick-growing, semi-evergreen plant, growing to a height of 30-50 cm and a width of 60-80 cm. The whitish flowers appear in May-June and clearly show that it belongs to the lotus genus. They are popular with bees and other pollinators.

I may have planted it in a spot where the soil was too compact and it died back one fall and winter. To be tried again.

Dorycnium pentaphyllum

This evergreen shrub is also silvery-green in appearance, but its stems and leaves are smooth, and leaves and white flowers are much smaller. It is supposed to grow to 60 x 90 cm. Ours is much higher than wide though (100 x 60 cm and forms a tall wiry-looking bush. Maybe I’ll give it a good trim in the fall.

It flowers abundantly in May and June. However the flowers are very popular not only with bees but also with red beetles that fees on them even before they’re fully open.