Fabiana imbricata: A Unique Mountain Plant
Years ago, a Canadian acquaintance of mine wrote, “You should try planting Fabiana imbricata in your garden.” This exotic plant, native to Chile, has been growing in theVancouver Botanical Garden for decades.
He showed me pictures of this plant, and it was a huge specimen that looked truly impressive when in bloom. At the time, I couldn’t find this plant for sale anywhere in the Netherlands, so my friend was kind enough to send me a small plant.
Physical Characteristics
The shrub grows to a height of 1.5 to 2 meters and has a dense, evergreen canopy of needle-like leaves. In spring and early summer, Fabiana imbricata ‘Violacea’ produces numerous small, bell-shaped flowers in a soft purple hue. This gives the plant a delicate yet striking appearance, making it highly valued in garden designs.
Ecological and Medicinal Value
Fabiana imbricata is not only decorative but also has medicinal uses in traditional South American medicine. Indigenous peoples used parts of the plant as a diuretic and to relieve digestive problems.
Scientific studies have shown that certain compounds in the leaves, such as sesquiterpenes, may have a protective effect on the stomach(
This highlights the potential of Fabiana imbricata as both a medicinal and an ornamental plant.
Natural Environment and Growing Conditions
Fabiana imbricata is found at elevations between 1,300 and 2,500 meters on the dry, rocky slopes of the Andes in Chile and Argentina
The plant grows there in arid regions with long periods of drought, where temperatures can drop significantly at night. This adaptation to extreme growing conditions makes the plant well-suited for gardens with limited water and poorer soils. Fabiana imbricata is also fairly hardy, which improves its chances of survival in cold climates, although extra protection may be needed during very harsh winters.
Fabiana imbricata in its natural habitat
Use in the Garden
I found that Fabiana has absolutely no trouble with Dutch winters and is therefore hardy here without any form of protection. The flowers attract pollinating insects, such as bees and butterflies, so the plant also makes an ecological contribution to biodiversity in the garden. Once the plant is in its spot, don’t move it, because it apparently can’t handle that. Ours died after that, and unfortunately I haven’t been able to replace it yet.
Fabiana imbricata somewhere in South America
Hardy:
This plant has been hardy for years at the EH. Lohbrunner Garden in Vancouver, Canada.
Availability:
This exotic plant is now available at Naturalworld in the Netherlands.
Our Fabiana imbricata ‘violacea’ in Schoonebeek
Update 11/15/2017
As a gardener, you’re probably familiar with the situation where certain plants grow too close together, and one of them needs to be moved to a different spot in the garden so it has more room.
That’s what happened with this plant; I moved it in the garden so it had plenty of space to grow nicely. A month later, the plant had turned completely brown and had unfortunately died.
So a valuable lesson with Fabiana is to choose a good spot right away where it has enough room to grow.
I’m definitely going to try this plant again because I’m convinced it’s hardy here in a sheltered spot.