Plant of the week

HAIRY CANARY CLOVER, LOTUS HIRSUTUS

ON THE south side of our parking area, against a stone wall, I planted the attractive Mediterranean Dorycnium hirsutum. I wanted the velvety, greygreen foliage to soften the unforgiving stone against gravel. The knee-high shrublet has self-seeded copiously over the past decade. Now we have a long, wavy line of soft, greygreen foliage topped with clusters of pink-flushed, white pea flowers.

Also known as Lotus hirsutus, it will grow in any hot, sunny dry spot, in the poorest soils or even in gravel. If you don’t want it to spread, remove the flower heads before the seed capsules have matured.