Simpson's Stopper: Plant Highlight

I think my husband is getting to me. I was out in the nursery, looking at a plant. I read the tag, thinking to come inside and look it up. It had a botanical as well as common name listed. For the life of me, I could only remember the botanical! Can you believe I pulled Helianthus Angustifolius out of my head, and not Gold Lace or Swamp Sunflower? But more on that one next week. I had promised a profile of Simpson's Stopper, which is one of Jim's favorites.


I had thought humans were a relatively social group, but so many I meet at farmers markets have been confiding to me that they'd like a hedge to block out a neighbor. Viburnums are usually the first thing that comes to their minds. We do carry viburnums, and there is even a native variety, but I like to recommend the Simpson's Stopper because it's not an over-used plant; the hedge it creates won't look like the other hedges every other block. It has the same, if not more, nice qualities of a viburnum.

Simpson's Stopper is a fun common name, and one I remember better than Myrcianthes Fragrans (although I think I can figure out the 'fragrans' part).
Medical lore says that Simpson's Stopper, particularly the berries and bark, can be used to cure a certain stomach ailment which requires one to be stopped up. Apparently a fellow named Simpson had a bad case of diarrhea.

It's in the Myrtle family, a group of tropical shrubs and trees. Simpson's Stopper, which I'm sure you figured out by the botanical name, has a fragrant flower. It's small and fluffy and white. It then makes a red berry. The leaves are stiff and dark green, and it likes to branch out. These branches, berries and flowers make this Stopper a popular hub in the garden for butterflies and birds. It's also an evergreen, which is an important feature for a hedge, don't you think?

Down further south the Simpson's Stopper can grow quite tall. It takes pruning well and is an easy undertaking to make it a hedge, or a shaped shrub or tree.


So if you wish to block an eyesore, enjoy a plant with medicinal and culinary value, or create an obstacle near your property line, consider the Simpson's Stopper!