Buchus

What on earth's THAT? I admit it sounds more like a smart new swear
word ('How're you feeling?' 'Absolutely buchus') than anything to do
with plants but in fact it's apparently a word from the Koikhoi
language (singular buchu, plural buchus) commonly used in South Africa
to describe those smaller shrubby members of the Rutaceae family which
have pleasantly scented leaves when touched, rubbed or crushed, at
least some of which are not only grown in S. African gardens but are
grown commercially (for use in cosmetics, scents, soaps, etc). The
genera involved include Acmadenia, Adenandra, Agathosma, Coleonema,
Diosma, Empleurum, Euchaetis, Macrostylis, Phyullosma and
Sheilanthera. Never heard of'em? Nor have I. At least, not of most
of'em. That's the reason for this posting. I'm not showing off what I
know, I'm confessing what I don't and asking if anyone else can help.
The only genus of the whole gang of which I have personal experience
is the Agathosma. And believe me they're miniature beauties. The one I
grow myself is A. imbricata but I have a friend (a fortunate woman
with one garden in Scotland and one in South Africa) who also grows A.
crenulata and A. betulina (both of which are among the plants grown
commercially for the cosmetics industry). Agathosma obovata seems to
be the other sp available in the UK. All of these Agathosma spp (and I
suspect all the other genera involved as well) make neat, upright,
small-leaved, evergreen bushes, to around a couple of feet max. Apart
from scented foliage, all have characteristically rue-family clusters
of small flowers (colours are, also characteristically, white or pink
or lilac). Those I have some personal acquaintance with I'd describe
as dapper and charming rather than stunning or show-stopping but
certainly well worth growing. The whole buchus gang is a part of the
fynbos vegetation (see Peter Dallman's book for a good overview of
that) and apparently requires similar treatment to the rest of that
flora: sun, moderate water, well-drained 'poor' soil. There's some
notion that they need smoke-treatment for germination tho' I had no
trouble with the seeds of A. imbricata. Semi-hardwood cuttings of at
least the Agathosma spp seem to be quite easy. I'm assuming that while
Dave might be able to manage some of these out of doors in the balmy
south west of the UK, up here in the north, even by the sea, they are
strictly pot-plants for over-wintering under glass (and very amenable
subjects for that sort of treatment the agathosma, at least, are). 

Queries: are any of these genera grown elsewhere (apart from S.A.
itself, that is)? None, apart from that single sp, Agathosma ovata,
seems to be commercially available in the UK - and that single species
from a single nursery, that of the splendid Derry Watkins, who has a
particular interest in S. African plants. Does anyone on this list
grow or know any of them? If so, any comments, on their desirability,
cultivation, possible hardiness, would be much appreciated.

(Not-too-seriously, I'd love to grow a Sheilanthera or two - tho' I
suppose I should need to use my best cod-Australian accent when
explaining to visitors what they were...)

Warm and wet beside the Solway: tree ferns and ginger lilies putting
out new growth daily if not hourly....
Tim Longville
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