An evergreen tree native to the Himalayas, Myanmar, Tibet and Yunnan. Fragrant, milky white flowers emerge in the spring, which are about 6" in diameter when fully open. The bark is dark grey, which also holds fragrance, and the wood is well known for building homes and furniture in certain parts of the world. It prefers full sun to light shade, does not tolerate wind and must not dry out. ... Learn More

This upright, evergreen, bushy shrub bears profuse fragrant white flowers followed by purple-black berries and is perfect for growing in a shaded warm area. The excellent, dense, evergreen foliage consists of small lanceolate leaves which are strongly scented when crushed. ... Learn More

Also known as the Chilean Guava, the fruits of Myrtus ugni have a uniquely delicious taste that is beyond compare, rather like a combination of strawberry, pineapple and apple. As a rule, the berries are the main reason for growing this plant, indeed, in Chile they are made into pies and jellies, whilst in the UK, it was apparently Queen Victoria’s favourite fruit, and growers in Cornwall attempted to grow them commercially, using her love of them as one of their selling points. In New Zealand it is being sold as the ‘NZ Cranberry’. It can grow up to 2 metres tall and the small shiny leave ... Learn More

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

Although this stylish deciduous shrub is grown for its rich purple foliage, it also bears clusters of pretty, pink-flushed, fragrant white flowers on arching branches in early summer, followed by glossy red seed heads in autumn, both of which contrast beautifully with its leaves. When plants reach maturity, the bark peels away in attractive, spalling layers. It is ideal for growing in a mixed herbaceous border, looking fantastic when grown alongside lime-green coloured plants. ... 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