Petrea

When I was a child, everybody had at least one Petrea shrub in their garden, just like the magnificent specimen shown in the photos, and also white, but the purple were more common - maybe easier to grow. Nowadays, they are few and far between, no longer fashionable.

Petrea is ideally suited to the climate of Barbados, they withstand the dry season well and thrive when there’s lots of rain too. They really don’t require much care other than the occasional trim so’s they don’t take over the entire property.

The leaves of the Petrea shrub are like thick paper covered in short stubble, like someone who hasn’t shaved for a day or two. Each flower stalk is covered in multiple tiny little flowers that will brighten up any garden.

The specimen shown in the photos is a very old plant, probably a good thirty to forty years old, and still looks spectacular. Talk about improving with age!