Podalyria sericea (Satin Bush)

This silvery, rounded shrub has attractive, soft shiny leaves and small, pretty pink flowers in winter which are followed by unusual swollen seed pods. The lovely silky, silver-grey foliage gives the whole plant a silvery, shiny lustre. Leaves are simple, with long straight close-pressed glossy hairs above and beneath. The leaves and seed pods are almost more attractive than the flowers. Flowers are borne in the leaf axils and flower stalks are enclosed by the calyx. A characteristic of this family is that the flowers are typically pea-like: a large back petal (the standard), two smaller side petals (wings) and two lower petals that are fused to form a keel enclosing the stamens and pistil. H 1m x W 1m