Agathosma ovata flowering

Such blooms produced by Agathosma ovata shrubs have ensured the plant’s place in the horticultural market. This photo was taken in spring. The flowering does carry on into summer. Often a compact shrub of about 50 cm, there are accounts of plants reaching 3 m.

Dense flower clusters from the leaf axils near the young stem tips will commonly cover a flourishing plant in a rich display of blooms, favoured by a variety of insects. The five-pointed star-shaped flowers have elliptic petals and prominent, long, spreading stamens with yellow anthers.

The fruit is a five chambered capsule (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984).