This delightful evergreen shrub has an uncanny 'bamboo-like' form, with purplish leaves in spring and winter, and white flowers in large panicles, later followed by red berries. It is native to eastern Asia from the Himalayas to Japan and is the only member of the monotypic genus Nandina. ... Learn More

Definitely an unusual tree with many names, for many reasons. Growing up to 18 metres tall, it is native to the Indian subcontinent where is it used for foodstuffs, medicines and dyes. The large leaves which grow up to a metre in length, are borne on leaf stalks which are up to 2 metres in length. As these leaf stalks wither, they fall off the tree and gather at the base of the trunk where they look like 'broken bones'. The tree is a night-bloomer and flowers are adapted to natural pollination by bats. Enormous seed pods are produced, with the fruits (up to 1.5m long) curving downwards like sw ... Learn More

This very long-lived plant makes hundreds of single, bowl-shaped, yellow-eyed flowers from red to deepest burgundy. In time this herbaceous shrub makes an imposing, many branched, deciduous tree, which is well worth waiting for. ... Learn More

The lovely yellow "Tree Peony" produces masses of golden yellow bowl-shaped flowers from late spring until mid summer. It is relatively slow-growing, producing masses of strong "trunks" which lengthen over the years, but it is a very long lived thing, becoming an heirloom after ten years or so. ... Learn More

This truly desirable plant has divided blue-green leaves and superb, large, bowl-shaped flowers of stunning bright pink as opposed to the normal red. It is a rare and highly esteemed early-flowering plant, for well-drained fertile soil in half shade. ... Learn More

This spiny shrub or small tree opens fragrant flowers which are a bright yellow-orange, with the fifth petal elongated, with a warmer yellow, and purple spotted at the base. These grow from a long slender stalk in groups of eight to ten and are most popular with bees and butterflies. The long, unusually thin leaves make the showy flowers even more visible. It is ideal for a small garden or large container. ... Learn More

This truly spectacular tree is another of the Paulownia group, and is the fastest-growing of them all. More exotic than the more common Paulownia tomentosa, it opens its darker, cherry-tree pink "foxglove" flowers on naked branches in early spring with the large, dinner-plate-sized, soft furry leaves appearing later. If cut nearly to the ground in spring, enormous leaves develop on the shoots sprouting from the soil. It does especially well in poor, impoverished and quite dry soil! ... Learn More

This truly spectacular tree produces large, pale mauve "foxglove" flowers on naked branches in early spring, the large, dinner-plate-sized, soft furry leaves appearing later. If cut to the ground in spring, enormous leaves develop on the shoots sprouting from the soil. It does especially well in poor, impoverished and quite dry soil! ... Learn More

Flowers consisting of pure white creased petals with a deep crimson centre, have the typical bunch of protruding pollen-covered anthers, typical of most in the mallow family. The plant sends out equally long side branches which are thin and droopy, and with pruning, it can look like a normal shrub, but it spreads out annually and benefits from pruning. Foliage is a dark bluish green the leaves being notched slightly and are long and narrow. Native to Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, it is vigorous and most attractive, but it should be grown with consideration as the seeds may ... Learn More

Amidst attractive divided foliage open sprays of glorious, fragrant, crinkly-petalled, bright yellow flowers, which form pods which are 5-10 cm long and 2.5 cm broad, and are red at first, ripening to black. It is commonly used in India for avenue trees, planted alternately with Delonix regia to give a striking yellow and red effect in summer. The wood has a wide variety of uses, including cabinet-making and the foliage is used as a fodder crop. This deciduous tree is widely grown in many tropical regions particularly in Nigeria, Pakistan, Florida and Hawaii. ... Learn More

This popular broad-leaved evergreen shrub can grow over 6' tall with an equal spread. Large, upright clusters of fragrant white urn-shaped flowers appear in April after which they become small brown seed capsules which persist into the winter. It thrives best in partial shade to nearly full sun and prefers soils which are acidic and very well-drained, but not excessively dry. ... Learn More

In March, short spikes of furry flower buds open to reveal large, bright-yellow, showy flowers, rather like laburnum but in short upright clusters, and which smell of vanilla and last until June. The yellow-green, flat, pendulous seed pods are about four inches long and are evident in August and September. The youngest stems are dark green, almost black, in spring, and the leaves are a shiny dark green on the upper side, blue-green underneath. This lovely shrub grows quickly once the seed has germinated ... Learn More

This rare and delightful dwarf is a small, aromatic evergreen shrub with tiny rounded leaves, and beautiful orchid-like white or pale lilac flowers with dark purple spots in summer. It occurs in subalpine heath and shrubland amongst granite rocks in New South Wales and Victoria in Australia. In Tasmania, the species is listed as "presumed to be extinct" under the state's Threatened Species Protection Act. ... Learn More

Delicate, fragrant, purple-spotted, pale lilac, orchid-like flowers adorn the "Christmas Bush" for six months. Do the flowers look like angels or does it flower at Christmas in Oz? A spectacular, scented foliage, evergreen shrub from Australia. ... Learn More

The most famous of all, the 'King Protea', has large distinctive leaves and huge flower heads which open throughout the year with white, pink and red bracts, depending on the variant. Flower heads persist for a long time, also making excellent cut flowers. Plants should be pruned if leaves suffer frost damage to encourage rapid new growth as soon as possible. Proteas require extremely well drained soil which is both acidic and very low in nutrients, fertiliser containing excess phosphates or nitrates may kill them! Proteas should not be fed with standard liquid feeds. Protea feed is availa ... Learn More