Aloysia virgata (Ruiz & Pavon) Juss. A large open evergreen shrub with aromatic foliage and spikes of small fragrant white flowers, native of Argentina and Brazil, growing in open forest, flowering in late summer. Lax shrub to 4m. Leaves 6–12cm long, opposite, elliptic, toothed, glossy dark green and hairy beneath. Flowers tiny, tubular, white, with a scent like vanilla, borne in rather dense, often clustered spike-like racemes 10–12cm long. Min. 5°C. Worth growing for its glossy scented foliage as well as the abundant if small flowers.