"Stag's-horn Sumach". Velvety shoots produce large divided leaves turning brilliant purple and orange in autumn. Clusters of deepest red fruits are displayed on female plants. If cut back hard in spring, enormous leaves, up to three-feet long, are produced. ... Learn More

The lovely "Dog Rose" is native to Europe, North West Africa and western Asia. It makes a perfect addition to a wild garden and is often used for hedging. The flowers are usually pale pink, but can vary from deep pink to white, maturing into an oval 1.5–2 cm red-orange fruit, or hip or hep! The flesh of the fruit is noted for its high vitamin C level, and is used to make syrup, tea and marmalade, and indeed it has been grown or encouraged in the wild for the production of vitamin C from its fruit (often as rose-hip syrup), especially during conditions of scarcity or during wartime. ... Learn More

This rose is one of the only species worth growing from seed, all aspects being desirable. Thornless, purple-red stems of attractive grey leaves, and pale-centred, cerise pink flowers age to bunches of dark red hips. Superb as a bush, but magnificent as a standard. ... Learn More

For several weeks in summer, this lovely, vigorous rambling rose produces dense, arching branches bearing large clusters of single white flowers with a rich fruity fragrance, which slowly fade to red producing an attractive bi-colour effect. These are later followed by lush red hips in autumn, and are much loved by birds which feed on these fruits and disperse its seeds widely. It is absolutely ideal for covering a wall or shed, especially north-facing walls as it is more tolerant of shade than other roses. ... Learn More

This rare and beautiful rose comes from the Central Iberian/sub-Mediterranean areas, where it makes dense deciduous thickets smothered in fragrant pale pink flowers. Its preferred habitat is deep, moist soils, especially in the supra-Mediterranean zone of the Meseta, the Ebro basin, the Cordillera Central, the Southern Iberian Range, the Montes de Toledo, and the Sierra Morena mountains, where it grows in association with Berberis hispanica and Prunus spinosa ("Sloe") ... Learn More

Charming single pink rose flowers, with a white centre behind a mop of prominent stamens, displayed against bright green foliage with serrated edges and a fragrance of apples. The flowers later give way to large red hips making it an attractive autumn feature too. This plant has a dense and thorny habit and lends itself well to hedging or for masking unwanted features. ... Learn More

Large shocking pink single rose flowers, with petals like tissue paper, stand out like beacons against the deeply-veined, large bright green leaves ultimately giving way to fat, glossy orange hips that are just as attractive as the flowers. This is a fast-growing rose with a dense and bushy habit that makes it a good choice for a summer-flowering hedge with autumn interest. The extremely thorny stems make it a good deterrent barrier too. ... Learn More

This delicate, small suckering shrub boasts pretty, single, creamy-white flowers, up to 2 in. across (5 cm), in late spring to early summer. Sweetly scented, these are borne in profusion on prickly stems bearing handsome, fern-like foliage of bright green leaves that are composed of rounded, delicate leaflets. As an extra bonus, the blossoms are followed by sizeable, spherical, purplish-black fruits. Disease, salt and drought tolerant, this beautiful species rose is perfect as a groundcover or as a low hedge. A hardy, tough and reliable plant, it is extremely suitable for use on poor soil and coastal areas. ... Learn More

This mysterious, and very rarely-seen plant makes attractive compact bushes of rigid, branched stems bearing evergreen spiny leaves, and bears greenish flowers followed by sizeable gorgeous red berries throughout the winter and following spring! Quite incredibly, it is a member of the lily family! For hundreds of years herbalists have used butcher's broom in the treatment of various ailments. And presumably butchers-of-old used branches to clean their work tops with the sharp foliage? For the chemists amongst you, Butcher's Broom contains 0.8-1.5% quinolizidine alkaloids, principally sparteine which inhibits the passing of sodium ions across the cell membrane and thus is an effective anti-arrhythmic substance. It is is frequently used in its sulphate form as an oxytocic drug - a substance which stimulates contraction of the uterine smooth muscle. sparteine also appears to extend the diastole. But we do not recommend experimenting without first consulting your doctor! Very few valuable fertile seeds are produced and we pick them individually from our plants, with only one large seed per berry, hence the high price. ... Learn More

This shrub or small tree can be found growing wild just about everywhere in Britain, the fragrant, flat topped, cream flower heads appear in May and June followed by the purple-black berries in September. The flowers are used to make the delicately-perfumed elder flower champagne, whilst the berries are used for wine. It used to be said that if you had an elder tree in the garden you had a medicine chest, or even a larder! The pith of the stems is easily pushed out and whistles were made from the hollow stems, the belief being that the sweetest sounding ones were made from trees that grew away from the sound of cock-crow. Pop guns were also made out of the stems by country children. ... Learn More

Seeds collected from the very best cultivars of the dark, narrow leaved forms of the fragrant-flowered elder such as 'Black Lace'. Seedlings will vary, with less than half having dark or very dark foliage, and pink or dark pink flowers. It is very important indeed to remember that many green seedlings will turn darker as the plants mature through the summer in their first year, so do not discard all green-leaved seedlings. ... Learn More

White, fragrant spring flowers give way to dazzling, pendulous clumps of pillar-box red berries, which shine with great intensity. A great improvement on our own black-fruited elder and now you can make red elderberry wine! Collected on our Russian trip to Sakhalin (RBS0265). ... Learn More

A spectacular, small to medium sized, deciduous or evergreen tree that can reach up to 20 m tall. With a spreading crown, compound leaves and a profusion of deep red flowers in spring, it is well-suited to shade as an ornamental tree in warmer regions. The new leaves are bright red and add to the tree's attractiveness. It is named for the copious nectar that drips from its flowers, which attracts various species of birds and insects. ... Learn More

Securinega suffruticosa is a deciduous shrub growing to 1.5m. It flowers from Aug to Sept, and the seeds ripen from Sep to Oct. The flowers are dioecious, individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant, so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. The plant is not self-fertile. This plant is commonly used in Chinese herbalism,(USE AT OWN RISK) where it is considered to be one of the 50 fundamental herbs where it is used in the treatment of contusions and nervous paralysis. ... Learn More

The Candlestick Cassia gets its name from the large sprays of upright, fragrant yellow flowers that resemble candles, and in a similar way to the buddleia bush, it is a magnet for butterflies. A native to Central and South America, it makes a showy addition to any warm or well-protected garden, where it will bloom from spring to autumn, bearing large green leaves which fold up at night. ... Learn More