Cyprus mystery flower?

[smallblueplanet]

Just been on me hols and saw a very vibrant plant being used as a low hedge around the pool, didn't take a close-up photo (doh!) but wondered if anyone knew what it might be - never seen owt like it before....

Darkish green slightly pointed leaves with small (50p piece size) florettes, of individual flowers, that had more than one colour - there was a really loud one of orange and red and a more restrained pink/white/yellow. Flowers then formed little clusters of dark purple berries.......

[Shortie]

SBP, did it have nasty thorns? Often you see bourgainvilla growing on holidays and they also use it as perimeter protection because of the thorns

Photo of it below - was it something like this?

http://www.dpexpert.com.au/gallery/a...gainvillea.jpg

[smallblueplanet]

Wow thats pretty - but no, no thorns. The 'flowers' were made up of lots of little flowers, the ones in the centre were a different colour to those around the outside.

[Shortie]

Ohhhh.... I think I know the one you mean, I've seen it over here. Was the cluster of flowers shaped like a medium sized ball?

I've seen them in yellow to pink and yellow to orange here

[smallblueplanet]

Yes ball-shaped with different colours, difficult to see from the photo. Maybe not growing so big over here? There were also some geraniums growing up through the 'hedge' (4 ft or so) - bit bigger than pot plants!

[Shortie]

Am I thinking Candytuft...? Let me see if I can dig out my seed catalogues, I'm sure I saw the ones I'm thinking of in there recently

[smallblueplanet]

Oh yes that rings a bell flower-wise, but I'm not sure about the leaves and the plants stems were quite thick too.

[nick the grief]

My sister brought some berries back from spain & has a hedge she grew that has similar leaves to this. Oleander sticks in my mind but I'm not sure.

[smallblueplanet]

Nah not oleander Nick, although thats in the hedge picture (the higher bit) - the berries (which I also bought back ) are a couple of mm in diameter and black/purple in colour, also in a cluster like the original flowers.

[valmarg]

The best suggestion I can come up with is Oleander, but I do need to get my eyes tested!!

[smallblueplanet]

Found another picture - the tall stuff is oleander

[Squirrel]

Could it be Lantana? Sounds like it from the description of the flowers. Considered a weed in some countries!

[smallblueplanet]

Well guessed Squirrel, thanks - thats what it is!

Just checked it on wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lantana

[Shortie]

Excellent, that was what I was thinking of when I was thinking Candytuft! Cheers for the name Squirrel as I've been wanting to get some. I know they can grow here

[nick the grief]

Well done Squirrel. It is Oleander my sister has got I think so I must get my eyes tested as well - Looking at the wrong un