Other Names:  Japanese Serissa, S. foetida

Description:

Very tiny and dense dark green foliage covers this slow growing variety; pink buds open to pretty shell pink trumpet flowers; used extensively in bonsai or as a house plant; a lovely garden accent for a small area

Ornamental Features

Apple Blossom Serissa features showy shell pink trumpet-shaped flowers with hot pink stripes along the branches from early spring to late fall, which emerge from distinctive pink flower buds. It has attractive dark green evergreen foliage. The small glossy oval leaves are highly ornamental and remain dark green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Apple Blossom Serissa is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which should be used to full effect.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Apple Blossom Serissa is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Apple Blossom Serissa will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. It has a low canopy. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in both summer and winter to conserve soil moisture and protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Apple Blossom Serissa makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.