Mackaya bella

Mackaya bella, called the forest bell bush, is a species of flowering plant in the acanthus family Acanthaceae, native to South Africa and Eswatini.

Description

Growing to tall and broad, it is an erect, evergreen shrub with opposite arranged 4 to 5 inch long glossy, slim, elliptically-shaped dark green leaves that feature wavy margins and salient midrib and veins on the lower surface.
2 inch long, trumpet-shaped, pale lilac to lavender flowers veined in purple appear profusely in spring and early summer. The throats have noticeable deep purple veins.

The plant is not hardy below, therefore in colder temperate zones requires protection during the winter months. However, it may be placed outside in a sheltered spot in summer. It requires an alkaline or neutral soil.
It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of [Garden Merit].