Dodonaea viscosa 'purpurea' (Purple Akeake)

Dodonaea viscosa 'purpurea' (Purple Akeake) Details

Dodonaea viscosa ‘purpurea’, commonly known as the Purple Ake Ake, is a popular NZ native shrub. It features lush, purple leaves which are held densely off upright stems. The foliage is adorned with masses of small, pink flowers in summer. This quick growing evergreen will reach 4 m tall and 2.5 m wide but can easily be contained with trimming as necessary. It grows best when planted in full sun or partial shade on a well-drained site, and will tolerate wind, frost, coastal conditions, dry periods, and almost all soil types, barring extreme wet and dry. The Purple Akeake is commonly trimmed into a hedge, grown as an informal hedge, included in mixed or native plantings, used for riparian planting, grown as a screen, or planted as a backdrop for smaller plants. The versatility and great aesthetics of this plant makes it very popular with NZ landscape designers and gardeners alike.