Garrya elliptica James Roof

Garrya elliptica 'James Roof' is perhaps the most beautiful cultivar of Garrya elliptica. Its dark-green evergreen foliage with a grey velvety underside stands out all year round, but this large shrub reveals itself in winter, when its spectacular silver-grey flowering appears, in the form of numerous and very long silky catkins that sway in the wind. Covered in frost, as if it were blooming with stalactites, on a misty February morning, this Garrya is breathtakingly beautiful. It is also very accommodating: it is reasonably tolerant to the presence of lime in the soil, sea spray, and even summer drought once established. Grow this wonder in partial shade, in the open ground in areas with mild winters.

Garrya elliptica, sometimes called Silk tassel bush, Coast silk-tassel, Quinine bush or Bear brush, is a shrub of the Garryaceae family. A dioecious flowering shrub - there are female and male individuals, but only the latter are cultivated in our gardens for their unique winter flowering. It is native to the forests of the west coast of the United States, especially to an area that extends from southern Oregon to the middle of California. It is a member of the chaparral, a shrubby formation comparable to Mediterranean scrub vegetation. It is a plant of dry and relatively mild climates, capable of withstanding short frosts around -12 °C (10.4 °F).

Garrya 'James Roof' is a male flower selection that stands out for an even more spectacular flowering than the type species. Of relatively slow growth, the shrub will reach an average size of 2.50 m (8 ft 2 in) in all directions at the age of 15. The habit of this shrub is bushy, ample, but well-branched and very dense. Its branches bear leathery leaves that resemble those of the evergreen oak but are arranged in an opposite manner. They are oval-elliptical in shape, 4 to 8 cm (1.6 to 3.1 in) long, with a smooth and undulate margin, dark green on the upper side, almost grey and pubescent underneath. The shrub starts to flower at the age of 5 or 6 years. Flowering generally takes place in January-February, sometimes as early as December, and continues until March-April depending on the climate. The male inflorescences are silky, trailing catkins up to 40 cm (15.7 in) long. They appear at the axil of the leaves and are composed of a stack of small pale pink-purple flowers with yellow stamens enveloped in a silky, silver-tinged bract.

Well sheltered from cold winds, Garrya elliptica James Roof is hardy to -12 °C (10.4 °F), in properly drained soil. Be careful in case of hard frosts. It is very well adapted to the oceanic climate and is able to tolerate sea spray. It will do better in a warmer urban garden that is protected from cold winds than in the open countryside. It is also suitable for locations with a Mediterranean climate, even without summer watering once well-established, as long as it is planted in partial shade and in deep soil. It is preferably planted as a standalone shrub or as part of a natural hedge in order to fully appreciate its dark branches that often descend to the ground, illuminated by the moving mass of silver catkins. It can be associated with Carolina allspice (Calycanthus), Pheasant Berry (Leycesteria), Smoke Bush (Cotinus), Hardy Fuchsia, Star Magnolia, or Euonymus myrianthus for a refined and ever-changing exotic atmosphere, with all year round interest.

American Indians once used its bark and bitter leaves in a decoction against malaria, from which it gets its name 'quinine bush'.