Treat Berzeliaalbiflora like a typical fynbos plant, e.g. protea, pincushion or conebush, and you should have success with it. Grow it in well-drained, acidic soil, in a sunny position, water it well, particularly in winter, and make sure that excess water drains away. Do not use strong chemical fertilisers or manure. It is probably tender to frost, but should survive the odd cold snap of 0 to -1°C.

Propagate Berzelia albiflora by seed sown in autumn. Seed of Berzelia albiflora has a naturally low percentage germination, but being a fire-adapted plant, treating the seed with the Kirstenbosch Instant Smoke Plus Seed Primer shows a marked improvement in the number of healthy seedlings. Seed should be harvested from the previous year's flowers. Use a well-drained, acidic medium suitable for fynbos plants, e.g. roughly equal parts river sand and decomposed pine bark or well-rotted, manure-free compost and about 20% topsoil. Cover the seeds lightly with the sowing medium, and water gently to avoid disturbing the seeds. Keep moist but not wet. The seeds should start to germinate in about six weeks. The young seedlings are very small and delicate and need to be nursed through their first year. Place the tray(s) in good bright light but not in direct sun, e.g. under an opaque roof or shade-netting and in a well-ventilated area. Water by hand, and keep the medium well-watered but take care not to over-water. The seedlings grow slowly during winter and only start to increase in size as spring approaches. They can be potted up in spring, but only if they are between 10-20 mm tall and have developed their secondary leaves. Pot them into small pots or multi-trays; they often die when placed in large containers, probably because the soil remains too wet. Use the same fynbos mix that was used for the seed. Feed the seedlings every two weeks with a diluted, liquid, seaweed-based fertilizer. Keep them in the nursery all summer in the same conditions, i.e. bright light but not direct sun, and well ventilated. They can be placed in a larger container, or planted out into the garden the following autumn. Regular pruning or pinching out the shoots will result in increased branching and a more rounded bush with more flowers; remember not to prune below the leaf-line.

Berzelia albiflora can also be propagated vegetatively. Cuttings should be taken in autumn or spring from actively growing, healthy shoots. The best results are achieved from side shoots not longer than 100 mm, taken as heel cuttings. Tip cuttings can also be taken. Gently remove the needle-like leaves from the lower 20-30 mm of the cutting and dip the heel or cut end in a rooting hormone used for semi-hardwood cuttings. You can use a powder or liquid rooting hormone. Place the cuttings in a rooting medium consisting of equal parts of 6 mm milled pine bark and polystyrene balls. The polystyrene aerates the mix, which is crucial for healthy root development. Some growers have had success using washed peat and coarse riversand. Use a shallow or compartmentalised tray for the cuttings, and make sure that the cleaned stem is submerged in the medium. Place the trays where they will receive regular misting or fogging; this prevents the leaves from drying out. Heated benches are also recommended as the warmth accelerates the rooting process. Rooting takes from six weeks to a few months. We have found that some cuttings do not develop roots, even after a few months. Instead we find white cell aggregations on the lower stem. This is callus tissue, which may not produce roots. We remove these cuttings and slightly damage the ends, then re-treat them with rooting hormone and place them into fresh rooting medium and have had good results with roots developing rapidly and aggressively.

The roots are fine and delicate, so rooted cuttings should be carefully removed and transplanted into individual containers. Use a well-drained, acidic mix suitable for fynbos plants. Place the newly rooted cuttings in a cool, shaded, well-aerated spot for them to adapt to their new medium. Feed them regularly with diluted organic fertilizer. When they are actively growing, place them in full sunlight.

Reader's Comment:

In October 2012 Terrence Beavis wrote: I am resident in Blenheim New Zealand. I have read about Brunia Albiflora on the website " Plantzafrica.com". I note on the website that Brunia will tolerate temperatures down to -1 degrees. I have three Brunia Albiflora growing in my garden here and have had temperatures down to -8 degrees of frost with no damage to foliage or flowers.