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Galphimia gracilis

Thryallis

Galphimia gracilis, common name Thryallis, is a great little tropical shrub if you need constant yellow flowers, with light green foliage. It grows moderately fast, with very little maintenance required. They do best in full sun, but will tolerate shade. Dense shade will result in fewer flowers and a very scraggly appearance, requiring more frequent pruning to maintain a dense shrub. A more dense appearance can also be obtained by planting multiple plants less than 24 inches apart.

This picture is and example of legginess resulting from a planting in full shade (1 hour of early morning sun). Notice that even though it is full shade, there is still a heavy bloom. The homeowner in this case only prunes these plants once a year. The appearance could be improve by more frequent prunings.

Once established, Thryallis likes to keep dry, requiring only light waterings in very dry periods. If kept in a container, the soil should be very will drained, and allowed to almost dry out between watering. This is a tropical plant that is well suited for Zone 9 or above. People in Zone 8 say that it will freeze to the ground in winter, and come back from the roots.

The flowers appear all year in the warmer climates. They bloom on terminal spikes creating a cloak of flowers surrounding the light green foliage below. This makes a stunning, dominate color statement in the landscape.

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