Shrubby bush native to the Mediterranean, Persia, India, and Japan. Evergreen, elongated, medium green leaves (sometimes variegated). It bears long pods containing woolly seeds. In open ground, it also grows in dry soils; if grown in pots, it prefers rich, moist, and deep soils, with watering from spring to autumn. It requires light pruning after flowering and is used in flowering shrub beds, parks, and gardens, for hedges and traffic islands. In pots, it is cultivated on balconies, terraces, and patios.