Solanaceae

Subfamily Browallioideae

Streptosolen jamesonii (Benth.) Miers

Description: This tender evergreen shrub is a member of the nightshade family (Solanaceae) and comes from Colombia and Ecuador. Often planted in cooler climates as a woody perennial or even an annual hanging basket, in mild coastal gardens it can be a large, to 8 feet tall, shrub or can trained as a espalier. It has 1 ¼ inch long light green, slightly fuzzy leaves and clusters of bright orange-yellow tubular flowers spring through fall and sometimes it can bloom throughout the year.

Culture: Marmalade bush performs best in full sun in a well-draining soil with ocassional but not abundant irrigation and is somewhat drought tolerant once established. Pruning of this brittle-wooded shrub should be done in late winter/early spring. The flower and leaf color combination make this a plant that lends itself well to many gardens and settings.