This uncommon plant is endemic to southern California, where it grows in shady forested areas near streams in the mountains. It bears a dense array of many small white flowers, each with five tiny pointed sepals and five larger oval petals and reaches up to a meter tall on a thin wiry stems. ... Learn More

Fantastic, bright yellow, buttery, papery, everlasting flowers bloom from April and all through summer. The deep green foliage slowly makes a mound growing to around 40cm tall, this condensed bushy mound producing a seemingly endless procession of large buds. Flowers have a papery feel and are one of the longest lasting cut flowers, indeed lasting "forever" when completely dry! It is surprisingly frost hardy in a sheltered spot. ... Learn More

Sprays of white flowers, held on short stems on this loose tufted plant, age to a rosy-purple colour in June and July. It is incredibly hardy down to -28C, and is native to the Eastern Alps and also the Arctic. ... Learn More

This bulbous gem opens its delicate but tough powder blue flowers, much loved by butterflies, on slender, graceful spikes in May. Although a distant cousin of hyacinths, this fragrant, fairy-like cousin (which is NOT the "Spanish Bluebell) is much more refined. ... Learn More

This is the pure white form of the more commonly-seen blue variety which will establish happily on a hot rockery. ... Learn More

Long arching compact sprays hold tightly packed, deeply fragrant, yellow-eyed, pure white flowers. Most attractive to all pollinating insects, but especially butterflies, the more common blue form was only discovered in the late nineteenth century in central China where it is native to Sichuan and Hubei provinces. Jean-André Soulié, a botanist-missionary, sent seed to the French nursery Vilmorin, and B. davidii entered commerce in the 1890s. It was named for the Basque missionary and explorer in China, Father Armand David, who first noticed the shrub. ... Learn More

The "African Butterfly Bush" or "Mountain sage" is a splendid dwarf shrub from the high mountains of Southern Africa where it grows usually above 6,000 feet. Sweetly-scented, creamy-white or sulphur-coloured, orange-centred flowers appear in midsummer and attract many flying insects including bees and butterflies, whilst the wrinkly, narrow leaves are covered in attractive rusty brown hairs. It makes a superb standard in our African garden at Plant World where it survives arctic winters well on a bitterly cold East-facing slope. ... Learn More

Clumps of rush-like leaves arise on this rapidly-growing lily relative from the South African mountains. It flowers very quickly the first year from seed and will even self-seed when happy on stems which are produced in succession all summer long holding a multitude of yellow starry flowers. On a gravel drive or poor soil area it will excel! ... Learn More

These unusual, fast-growing, yellow, lily-like flowers come from Australia, where they are found in all states except Northern Territory. They are usually found in the drier northern regions, for example, north and west from near Bendigo, and are often found on light, sandy soils, extending to the far north-west near Lake Wallawalla. This unusual species includes a large number of forms within a complex polyploid series. ... Learn More

From South Africa comes this beautiful, rare, easy-to-grow, desirable treasure. In early spring, long-stemmed, erect spikes of white flowers open from pink buds, the frothy blooms being topped by the rest of the densely held buds which open from the bottom upwards. It is drought and heat tolerant and will grow in any well-drained soil, and in warmer climes it is evergreen, increasing both by root and seed with time. An excellent cut flower, it is widespread in the winter rainfall area of South Africa where it grows on sandstone, granite, or clay. In cooler countries it will need protecting fro ... Learn More

Clumps of green fleshy leaves surround strong stems holding pyramid-shaped heads of buds which open into bright yellow starry flowers over a good period in early summer. Related to B. rossii, this lovely New Zealand flower has several variants which differ very little in stature. Bulbinella gibbsii var. gibbsii is confined to Stewart Island, and Bulbinella gibbsii var. balanifera is found in moist but well-drained rocky sites in the south of the North Island, and to the west of the South Island, in high rainfall areas, south of Arthur’s Pass. Few seeds. ... Learn More

From the mountains of southern New Zealand comes this fine hardy plant, with dwarf grassy clumps which sprout thick spires of starry, deep yellow flowers, vaguely like "Red-hot Pokers". With fleshy edible roots, (should you be hungry), this New Zealand gem is totally hardy and improves over the years. ... Learn More

Glowing and shimmering in the sunny border, this graceful, aromatic, evergreen shrub has dense, spreading, most attractive long, slender, erect shoots, bearing oval, waxy, blue-green leaves and domed umbels of star-shaped, yellow flowers from midsummer to early autumn. Indeed, the large bright yellow umbels in summer are the only clue that this rare plant is an astrantia relative! Although astonishingly hardy, it makes a perfect sea-side plant where it can thrive in the salty breeze! ... Learn More

Another recently discovered, lovely new plant which has fine umbels of bright yellow flowers on repeatedly branching sprays. Best sown direct where it is to flower. The flowers, which resemble those of alchemilla, are excellent for cutting. ... Learn More

Obtained from a fanatical grower of these lovely umbellifers, this extremely rare plant, with compact heads of yellow-brown flowers, is found in the wild apparently only in the mountainous region of the Turkish Taurus mountains in the region of of the Cilician Gate! In case you are curious, the Cilician Gates (or Gülek Pass) a pass through the Taurus Mountains, connects the low plains of Cilicia to the Anatolian Plateau, through the narrow gorge of the Gökoluk River, climbing to over 1000m. We have no pictures other than of the remarkably unusual and attractive seeds, which do not resemble in ... Learn More