Gardening in southern Spain: Luculia gratissima

A member of the Rubiaceae family (coffee) and closely related to Gardenia, the Luculia genus consists of large evergreen shrubs or trees with clusters of fragrant flowers in autumn and winter.

It is a subtropical plant and native to the Himalayas, Nepal, India and Bhutan where it grows in forests, reaching up to four metres tall by around three metres wide. It can be grown as a tree or pruned and kept as a shrub, either in the ground (in mild climates) or in a large container which can be moved to a sheltered spot in winter.

It is not frost resistant and will also not withstand a location in full sun or exposed to strong, drying winds. Luculia prefers a free-draining soil with lots of organic matter mixed in creating a slightly acidic substrate. It does not like being moved so care must be taken to find the right location.

Luculia needs some dappled shade, particularly on hot, summer afternoons and is not drought hardy; the soil needs to be kept moist.

The two most commonly found species of Luculia are L. gratissima, which has heavily fragrant clusters of pink flowers, and L. grandiflora, which has dark green foliage and large white, perfumed blooms.

Pruning should be carried out immediately after flowering as the blooms form on new wood.

Propagation is by seed or from tip cuttings taken in late spring or early summer.