I bought this as a young plant around spring 2000, grew it in a pot for a year and planted it in the ground in 2001. It grew very quickly, making a tall shrub about 10 feet or 3 metres tall but it didn't spread sideways, rather it grew in more of a columnar habit although it had a reasonable width. Leaves are quite small with wavy edges and a broad irregularly marked yellowish-green centre. Flowers are about as black as they come, quite small and highly scented. The thin branches are almost black too, making a very attractive shrub. It had gone through more than one severe winter with no damage at all, but the winter of 2010/11 in the UK killed it as we had 7 weeks on continual freezing temperatures down to -17C. Heartbreaking! It had taken down to at least -11C before even when young with some very prolonged frost but the last winter was too harsh for it.

This is a sport of ‘Rotundifolium’ which itself was a sport of P. tenuifolium, found in New Zealand. 'Eila Keightley' was raised by Robinsons Nursery in New Zealand in 1964. Information from the RHS.

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