Escallonia ‘Iveyi’

Escallonia ‘Iveyi’ A strong growing, glossy leaved, white blossomed evergreen shrub. A hybrid between E. x exoniensis and E. montevidensis.

E. x exoniensis is itself a hybrid of E. rosea x E. rubra bred at Veitch’s Nursery, Exeter.

The three parent species are of South American origin, all introduced in the first half of the 19th century. Iveyi, the hybrid, originated at Caerhays garden in Cornwall in the 1920’s. A chance seedling in the leaf litter spotted through the keen eye of a Mr Ivey, gardener at Caerhays. Nowadays it would be identified through DNA analysis and a counting of chromosomes then registered with plant breeders rights.

Escallonia ‘Iveyi’

One detraction from perfection is the plant’s habit of holding the previous season’s dry flower spikes which are noticeable due to the size of the terminal clusters. Just now the laterals as well as the leading shoot are headed with panicles of massed white flowers. In bud the base of each is touched pink. Opening the green stigma is surrounded by five anthers. Well worth growing where space permits as it will reach 4 meters in height.