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Berkheya purpurea (purple berkheya) is another of the plants that I’ve come across for the first time at Fullers Mill. They were an unusual sight…pale silvery-mauve flowers on strong, very prickly stems. I didn’t get that close a look at them because they were planted well-behind other large plants in an inaccessible area.
It looked as if the placing of this plant was deliberately out of the way of visitors. When you see just how spiky it is, you realise that a close encounter could be very painful. The spines along the stems, leaves, and even on the bracts at the back of each flower, look quite vicious and certainly not to be messed with.
The attractive flowers are very large daisies with a dark purple centre. (Some describe them as being like a small purple sunflower). Like other members of the Asteraceae family, the flowers are a magnet for bees, butterflies, and hoverflies. Berkheya comes from South Africa and can cope with drought, but is still reasonably hardy. (It doesn’t like winter wet though, so would need an area that drains well when its rainy.)
Berkheya looks quite stunning, with its contrast between the architectural stems and the delicately pretty flowers. It could be a useful deterrent to help protect the security of your home, since nobody is going to attempt to wade through a thicket of this spiky plant. But those ferocious spikes would put me off growing it, so it’s not a choice for me. I like to be able to know I can work in my garden without being injured by my plants!
Ann Mackay: Inspired by Nature 