When Denman’s then-Head Gardener Graham Best planted a young Chilean Yellow Fuschia next to the South Entrance to the Walled Garden, he didn’t know that there had been one there years earlier, presumably planted by Mrs. Robinson. He made the discovery later, perhaps from a photo.
It was a good decision to include it in the plantings here. Vestia is a wonderful shrub when once established, though it is also a bit of a marmite plant. True to its botanical name, Vestia foetida – foetida is from the Latin word for ‘stinking’ or ‘foul-smelling’, it is a smelly plant (the genus name, ‘vestia’, is in honour of Lorenz von Vest, an Austrian botanist who presumably didn’t smell…) and some find it more objectionable than others.
Nevertheless, this time of year its tubular vibrant yellow frilly flowers light up the garden, especially on grey days. The flowers are 1-2 inches long and the shrub is covered with them so they are visible from a good distance. They are followed by green seed capsules that bear some resemblance to long acorns and are also ornamental, especially as they darken towards Autumn.
Vestia is an upright evergreen shrub with small, glossy dark green leaves, so it is useful when creating evergreen structure in the garden. Its branches are long and flexible with a tendency to splay, giving it a somewhat loose vase shape.
A native of central Chile, vestia is hardy to -15 °C (5°F) and grows up to 2 metres (6 feet) tall and about half as wide. It prefers a sunny spot with well-drained soil. It seems to be somewhat drought tolerant here and has thrived in our chalky soil which is relatively alkaline. It seems to perform best here with protection from wind.
