Velvety, fleshy, pulpy fruit, rather like a tomato or small apple, fills this rarely-seen member of, believe it or not, the willow family! An attractive tree at all times, it is widely grown in warm temperate to tropical gardens around the world. And as it is many-branching, and has a dense crown, It is also used as an inpenetrable hedging plant, on account of the masses of spines that adorn the inner branches. And finally, it has valuable uses in local and popular medicine, specifically for relieving pain and rheumatism. ... Learn More

Showy, pale pink male flowers and modest white female flowers appear on dark red shoots in spring on this attractive and very striking evergreen shrub. In a well-drained spot it is remarkably hardy. ... Learn More

An unusually large flowered form of the "Chilean Firebush" collected as seed on the banks of Lago Cucao, Chiloe Island, during our 1994 Chile Expedition (RB94051). As this seed has wild diversity you will find that the clusters of tubular flowers that appear in early summer vary from crimson to an unforgettable bright red. Many plants grown in the UK are cuttings from the same plant but this is new blood! ... Learn More

A fast growing tree legume from tropical America with small white flower heads that appear in compact round heads. Preferring a moist, warm climate, it grows in a wide variety of soil conditions. The large seeds pods are semicircular and resemble a elephant or monkey ear, hence the 'ear tree' as it is more commonly known. It is the national tree of Costa Rica, where the seed pods are widely used as a food source for livestock. ... Learn More

This lovely tree from the Himalayas has both a prickly trunk and also branches, which display beautiful orange-red flower clusters. It is relatively tough, and can be overwintered at a minimum of 5 degrees Celsius. The name coral tree is used as a collective term for this group of trees, as the growth of the branches can resemble the shape of sea coral. ... Learn More

One of the most versatile evergreen shrubs with a spreading habit, it has broad, yellow-margined leaves, with fine autumn and winter colour, which are tinged pink in winter. The fruit is a four-lobed, pale green pod-like berry, which splits open to reveal the attractive, fleshy-coated orange seeds. It makes an excellent specimen shrub, a low informal hedge or an ideal climber on walls. AGM Winner ... Learn More

Noted for its most dramatic foliage and gorgeous ornamental berries, this sizeable tree, or deciduous shrub, is invaluable in the autumn and winter garden. Its foliage of huge, ovate, mid-green leaves turns to vibrant crimson-to-ruby red in early autumn, making the whole plant glow with colour. ... Learn More

The pure white flowers of this early summer flowering shrub give rise to the name - The Bride - or the Pearl Bush, as the opening flower buds have an astonishing resemblance to strings of pearls wrapped around the branches. In April and May it can produce an unforgettable cascading waterfall of sweetly perfumed ivory-white flowers. ... Learn More

A tropical-looking, frost-hardy evergreen shrub with large, leathery, brightly-polished leaves. Panicles of white flowers appear late in the year and much later still, in March and April, come the large clusters of jet-back berries. ... Learn More

This sizeable evergreen tree has a buttressed trunk and a spreading crown, and bark that is smooth and grey, with small pale brown pustules. The attractive clusters of orange-red fruits are officially described as edible, but they are hard and not palatable and are usually grown for their ornamental effect. The large leaves, a little like the rubber plant, have wonderfully pale green veins that show up beautifully against the emerald green of the leaves. This particular ficus is a beautiful addition to any home and makes an excellent container plant. ... Learn More

An unusually small tree in the wild, it has disproportionately large leaves, hence one of its common names, which start intensely red, and turn more and more green when reaching their ultimate size of up to 50 cm length. Its edible fruits, which ripen both on branches and the trunk, are used to make jams, juices and curries in India, whilst in Vietnam, unripe fruits are also used in salads. It also provides various traditional medicinal uses, and its large strong leaves are often used as plates! The tree is cultivated in India and from Myanmar to Vietnam and SW China and Brazil. ... Learn More

This is the tree that is grown worldwide to produce plum-sized, juicy, sweet purple/brown figs and although there are hundreds of cultivars this is still a favourite. Fruits will ripen from midsummer onwards in the UK but earlier in warmer countries. These are good, fertile seeds and are ready-stratified for sowing. Fruit from seedlings may vary but all will be superb fruits. ... Learn More

This attractive tree usually has a distinctive crooked trunk and a spreading crown, but unlike the banyan, it has no aerial roots. The most distinctive aspect of this tree is the large number of short compact clusters of red, furry figs which amazingly grow directly out of the trunk of the tree. Native to Australasia, SE Asia and Indian sub-continent, it has long been used in Ayurveda, the traditional and ancient system of Indian medicine. It is also one of the sacred trees of Buddhists and Hindus. ... Learn More

This lovely tree with pale grey bark produces figs which are primarily pollinated by fig wasps, which enter the flower through the hole at the base of the fruiting structure. It is sacred to Buddhists and Hindus as the Buddha himself was thought to have sat under one when he received enlightenment (bodhi). The oldest plant in the world of known planting date is the bo tree called Sri Maha Bodhi planted at the temple at Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, in 288 BC. It is native to India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, south-west China and Indochina and Sadhus (Hindu ascetics) still meditate beneath sacred fig trees, and Hindus do circumambulation, or meditative pacing around the sacred fig tree as a mark of worship. Today it is revered as a symbol for prosperity, happiness, good fortune and long life. ... Learn More

This rarely-seen, but most attractive tree, sometimes used in parks and public gardens, bears attractive divided leaves surmounted by sizeable panicles of fragrant white male and female flowers which are very decorative in May and June. Fairly slow growing, it makes a large shrub to small or medium-size tree and is rarely taller than 10 m under cultivation. It prefers somewhat drier soil and a warm, sunny position. Very few fertile seeds collected. ... Learn More