A dwarf "Red-hot Poker" from the alpine zones of South Africa. Broad, stumpy spikes of bright orange flowers on very thick stems above a rosette of short fleshy broad leaves. Very lovely here. ... Learn More

One the most distinctive kniphofias, this impressive landscape plant thrusts up strong, tall stems carrying large, rounded, egg-shaped, chunky-heads, opening into brilliant-red and lemon flowers, all held over clumps of thick, strong, broad arching foliage. This valuable late-flowering perennial from South Africa is really one of the highlights of the late summer to early autumn border. ... Learn More

A clump-forming, evergreen perennial with narrow leaves and tall orange-red flower spikes, fading to yellow towards the base. This is the parent of many of the cultivated forms and is the one most commonly seen in gardens. ... Learn More

This compactish, slow growing, pretty palm makes a slender, smooth trunk topped by large, circular, fan-shaped leaves with silvery undersides, which are arranged in a dense crown. A remarkably useful plant, the leaves are a popular thatching material, and are often harvested from the wild for local use, the stem of the plant being used to make poles! It is native to the Caribbean, the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Cuba, Bahamas, Southeast N. America down to the Florida Keys, and much of the Caribbean region. In the wild it grows in open woodlands and coastal areas, but will thrive in an ... Learn More

This rare and totally unique, graceful, fast growing palm has gorgeous, finely divided, weeping fan leaves, and is easy to germinate and fast and easy to grow. Adaptable and hardy in every respect, it is one of the most rustic and most resistant to the cold, in short, a nearly foolproof palm, which will tolerate all types of soil, drought and sea wind. It has an unusual attractively-marked trunk, because dying leaves fall away cleanly. It is ideal either as a pretty landscape specimen, or even as an indoor plant on a commercial basis. It is endemic to the woodlands of Queensland, Australia, an ... Learn More

From Chile comes this handsome but curious plant bearing dark green, lobed, acanthus-like leaves. In summer, highly attractive bright orange-yellow, concave-petalled flowers open, each an inch or so across. But take care! This is one of the surprise plants of the Chilean woodlands as my legs discovered on our last Andean expedition. The entire plant, including the flowers, is covered with fine stinging hairs, just like a stinging nettle. Grazing animals keep away! ... Learn More

Remarkably similar to the Puya of the Andes in South America or Echium wildpretii from the island of Tenerife, this giant unrelated rosette plant displays the evidence of parallel evolution, producing similar looking plants as they evolve in similar habitats. Although the dark maroon to black flowers are attractive, they are almost completely hidden within the bracts. This rare and astonishing plant is native to wetter spots in the alpine zone of Mount Kenya between 3300 and 4600 m, where the extreme climate is usually clear and cold in the mornings, with intense sunshine, and cloudy or foggy ... Learn More

One of the most lovely garden flowers and completely hardy, this rarely-seen beauty displays its narrow, flared, fiery red and orange trumpet flowers, much loved by bees, above clumps of fine foliage. At the bud stage, the flowers are tubular and red over most of their length, fading to yellow toward the tips. When they open, the tips curl back in a two-lipped fashion, showing off the yellow interior. Completely vice-less, and rarely setting any good seeds, it will very slowly spread over the years making a solid clump in the garden. ... Learn More

Another giant rosette plant which is stunningly similar to the puyas of the high Andes, and also to the giant echiums that evolved separately, on the Canary Islands, demonstrating convergent/parallel evolution. It forms a large rosette of narrow, hairy leaves that eventually produces a giant inflorescence of creamy white flowers, up to 3 m tall, protected by masses of long, silvery hairy bracts and pollinated by birds. Lobelia telekii is native to the high mountains of tropical eastern Africa and inhabits dry, rocky slopes between an astonishing 3500 and 5000 m elevation on Mount Elgon, the Ab ... Learn More

An incredible giant, hardy Lobelia from Chile. From a large rosette of thick leathery felted leaves arise thick stems carrying tropical orchid-like deepest carmine flowers. A valuable late season display from July until the autumn frosts. ... Learn More

Rare and unique, this palm-like giant Lobelia forms a large rosette of purplish-green, large, narrow, hairy leaves, and a tall sizeable woody trunk. Eventually a giant flower spike arises protected by masses of long, silvery hairy bracts, and finally countless deep blue flowers open. Similar in stature to a giant Echium, it can grow up to 6 metres in total. Rare even in the wild, where it is pollinated by birds, it lives in the high-elevation bogs of the alpine zone, between 3700 and 4300 m (12100 and 14100 ft) and is native to the high Rwenzori Mountains of tropical Eastern Africa from Ugand ... Learn More

The luffa sponge, also known as loofah, vegetable sponge or running okra is a quick-growing climbing plant producing fascinating fruits. Normally these rather resemble long, ridged cucumbers, slightly fatter at one end, and growing to 30 to 40 centimetres long, but we offer the rarer smooth-skinned variety. Whilst the young fruits are edible, the mature ones can be boiled or dried to remove the flesh, revealing the intricate network of tough fibres that make it so useful in the bath! Grown up fences or trellis in a warm sheltered site or in a greenhouse they fruit in around 16 weeks from plan ... Learn More

Yellow-brown fragrant flowers form on racemes up to 6cm long, with male and female flowers growing on separate trees. Forming a bush to a small or medium sized tree, it has a trunk which is fluted and irregular at the base and grey bark which is smooth, or with occasional wrinkles or corky bumps. It has long been in use as a traditional medicinal tree in India and is also a source of Kamala dye which is used in colouring silk and wool, and finally is used as an anti-oxidant for ghee and vegetable oils. Its home is south east Asia, Afghanistan and Australia. ... Learn More

The giant of the family carrying massive, deeply-cut grey leaves. Bizarre, brownish flowers produce inflated seedpods in late summer. Often cut down by frost but sprouts again from the base. "Melianthus has probably the most beautiful large foliage of any plant that can be grown out of doors in these islands". (G.S.T.) ... Learn More

Individual plants grow to between 3-7 m high, but can reach up to 12 m, with leaves around 3 m in length and 90 cm in width. As the leaves are coloured red on their underside with shoots growing from a creeping, elongated, underground rhizome. The plants thrive best in shade or filtered sun, as intense direct sun can damage the leaves. Unusually, this wild banana has pink fruits and in its native south-east Asia, they are an important wild food source for Asian elephants .This species is increasingly under threat in the wild commercial agriculture is now clearing much of the irreplaceable ... Learn More