From a yucca-like, but softer leaved rosette of sword-like leaves, arise huge arching spikes of red and green flowers, much resembling a dragon's head. One of the world's most magnificent hardy plants, very long-lived in a well-drained sheltered spot. Very few good seeds are ever collected. ... Learn More

Gorgeous, closely-packed trusses of tubular flowers open in early summer, each flower being of a deepest burgundy, clasped at the base with a violet calyx and stem! What a fantastic colour combination on this form of this rare plant from Colombia and Venezuela! Like most bomareas, (which are basically "climbing alstroemerias") it will prefer a warm sunny spot in deep, well-drained soil, when it will scramble up any available support or shrub before festooning itself with flower buds. Alternatively, it will also make an impressive specimen in a sizeable deep pot or a greenhouse border. ... Learn More

Clumps of rush-like leaves arise on this rapidly-growing lily relative from the South African mountains. It flowers very quickly the first year from seed and will even self-seed when happy on stems which are produced in succession all summer long holding a multitude of yellow starry flowers. On a gravel drive or poor soil area it will excel! ... Learn More

These unusual, fast-growing, yellow, lily-like flowers come from Australia, where they are found in all states except Northern Territory. They are usually found in the drier northern regions, for example, north and west from near Bendigo, and are often found on light, sandy soils, extending to the far north-west near Lake Wallawalla. This unusual species includes a large number of forms within a complex polyploid series. ... Learn More

Clumps of green fleshy leaves surround strong stems holding pyramid-shaped heads of buds which open into bright yellow starry flowers over a good period in early summer. Related to B. rossii, this lovely New Zealand flower has several variants which differ very little in stature. Bulbinella gibbsii var. gibbsii is confined to Stewart Island, and Bulbinella gibbsii var. balanifera is found in moist but well-drained rocky sites in the south of the North Island, and to the west of the South Island, in high rainfall areas, south of Arthur’s Pass. Few seeds. ... Learn More

Imagine an enormous, strong-stemmed, fragrant bluebell with dense, erect spikes of six-petalled, star-shaped violet flowers. This large, bone-hardy, reliably perennial lily relative, flowers in early summer with the very occasional plant giving pure white, green-eyed flowers. ... Learn More

The pure white form of the more commonly seen blue one resembles an absolutely giant, fragrant bluebell. A large, bone-hardy, reliably perennial lily relative, it has dense, erect spikes of six-petalled, star-shaped white flowers. An easy and valuable hardy treasure. ... Learn More

This is a cream form of the more commonly seen blue one. Resembling an absolutely giant, fragrant bluebell, it has dense, erect spikes of six-petalled, star-shaped cream flowers. A large, bone-hardy, reliably perennial lily relative. ... Learn More

This large Canna species is a striking plant with large ovate leaves resembling a banana plant, a native to forests in South America and the Caribbean, found at moderate altitudes up to 2000m. In late summer terminal inflorescence with small orange-red flowers followed by round, fuzzy, light-yellow fruits appear. ... Learn More

Fragrant trumpet flowers, ivory-white with a slight greenish cast, open on stems up to five or six feet tall making it easy to enjoy their excellent fragrance. This is one of the dwarfer form of the giant Yunnan Lily, with basal rosettes of shiny leaves that in early spring resemble those of a glossy Hosta. ... Learn More

(Cardiocrinum cordatum var. glehnii). The much rarer and slightly dwarfer form of the "Giant Yunnan Lily" has been collected for us on the Russian island of Sakhalin. Massive, fragrant, creamy white trumpets hang from strong tall stems, which rise above large, thick, dark green, leathery leaves. ... Learn More

The "Giant Yunnan Lily" or "Giant Himalayan Lily" is a stately giant, producing two inch thick stems, with dinner plate sized leaves above which open numerous eight inch green and white waxy, very fragrant trumpets, followed by enormous "everlasting", toothed seed-pods when dried. A fantastic plant in all respects which blooms in late spring to early summer. Adaptable to partial shade or full sun, this plant thrives in well-drained, fertile soil. It's hardy in zones 6-9 and requires moderate watering. If you're seeking to cultivate your own outdoor haven, these seeds provide an opportunity to ... Learn More

The largest of the common sedges, making an enormous pampas grass-sized clump of broad almost lily-like leaves, beneath stout arching stems, which hold long drooping spikes of russet coloured flowers. ... Learn More

This spectacular, fast-growing tree, unbelievably, a member of the Mallow family, bears very tropical-looking palmate foliage, and has an extraordinary bulbous green trunk studded with astonishingly-large, triangular-shaped "thorns". It produces extremely beautiful, sizeable pink and cream lily-like flowers, which are fragrant and borne in great profusion, and are followed by large woody pods that split open to release the long white flossy hairs of the famous kapok. It is native to North-Eastern Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Southern Brazil. Although finally becoming an open ground tree in ... Learn More

Delicate purple flowers with white 'stems' which are the lower part of the flower, arise in compact clumps without any leaves, in the autumn, and can soon naturalise on a rock garden or even in grass. Contrary to its common name, and this is the actual "Autumn Crocus" usually referred to, this beautiful autumn-flowering bulb is not in the slightest related to true crocuses, but is botanically closer to lilies. ... Learn More