Plant Finder
Petite Butterfly Sweet Pea Shrub
Polygala fruticosa 'Petite Butterfly'
Height: 3 feet
Spread: 3 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 8a
Other Names: Shrubby Milkwort
Description:
A pretty upward growing shrub with evergreen boxwood-like foliage; vivid purple winged flowers with a whitish crest almost year round; cut flowers are long lasting in arrangements; coastal plant great for beachside plantings
Ornamental Features
Petite Butterfly Sweet Pea Shrub features dainty clusters of purple pea-like flowers with violet overtones at the ends of the branches from late winter to late fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has attractive green evergreen foliage. The glossy oval leaves are highly ornamental and remain green throughout the winter.
Landscape Attributes
Petite Butterfly Sweet Pea Shrub is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.
This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and can be pruned at anytime. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Petite Butterfly Sweet Pea Shrub is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Accent
- Rock/Alpine Gardens
- General Garden Use
Planting & Growing
Petite Butterfly Sweet Pea Shrub will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. It has a low canopy. It grows at a medium 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, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.