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Yes, it's really pretty, but that's not the only reason i grow it. Psoralea affinis - the "Grape Soda Bush" - has flowers with a mouth-watering scent of grape candy! These delectable blooms appear by the hundreds all throughout Spring. This Pea relative comes from cool, coastal South Africa, and is untested in hot conditions. It's extremely rare and almost never seen for sale. It
is a fast-growing, evergreen bush with upright, woody shoots that get about 9 feet tall,
although you can prune them a lot shorter. It has unusual, slender leaves that resemble pine leaves. It's quite an attractive plant even without flowers. The butterfly shaped blooms appear in clusters at the ends of the shoots. These fruit-scented blooms are about a half inch long and are a lovely shade of bluish-purple. In full bloom, it's super showy.
And it's always fun to have guests smell it to see their reaction!
It grows well for me in San Francisco, where day temperatures are mild and nights are cool. There isn't much info on it, but i suspect it could tolerate warm days if nights are cool, but it might resent the combination of hot days and warm nights (over 64°F / 18°C). It probably could survive a few degrees of frost, but it's best to protect it from all frost. It enjoys mostly-sunny conditions. In warmer climates, it might need some afternoon shade. It grows well in a typical, well-draining soil that's kept evenly moist most of the time. In the right conditions, it's an easy and very enjoyable plant.
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