Coleonema

Coleonema pulchellum

Coleonema pulchellum (or Breath of Heaven) is a charming, wispy plant with very small pink flowers.   The flowers themselves are not showy, but the sheer numbers of them in spring make the plant a real sight.  It grows to about five feet tall and wide, but ‘Compacta’ gets only about three feet.  ‘Sunset Gold’ has chartreuse foliage and stays at about a foot and a half by four feet wide.  This variety prefers some afternoon shade.

Despite being good for our zone, Coleonema can get damaged or killed outright during very cold winters.  Most years, however, it survives nicely and is considered to be quite deer resistant.