Category Archives: Shrubs

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  Viburnum Henryi

  Posted on August 18, 2017 by stephenryan in berries, Collector Plants, evergreen, Foliage plants, shade tolerant, Shrubs, winter interest

  This Genus has something for everyone and this Asian evergreen shrub is a bit of an unsung hero of the group. It has narrow evergreen leaves on an elegant open framed shrub to 3or 4 metres. Don’t then use it to screen your weird behaviour from the neighbours! The panicles of tiny flowers are produced […]

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  Rubus lineatus

  Posted on August 17, 2017 by stephenryan in Collector Plants, evergreen, Foliage plants, Good Pot Plant, shade tolerant, Shrubs, winter interest

  This blackberry relative from Asia must have one of the most beautiful leaves imaginable! The five leaflets are all pleated in a texturally stunning way and even this doesn’t prepare you for the silvery reverse. It is a suckering evergreen shrub to 2.5metres tall that likes a moist soil and some shade from the hottest […]

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  Brachyglottis repanda

  Posted on August 8, 2017 by stephenryan in Collector Plants, drought tolerant, evergreen, Foliage plants, perfumed, shade tolerant, Shrubs, winter interest

  I have a great love of this evergreen shrub from New Zealand for several reasons. Firstly it is a first rate foliage plant with huge soft green leaves with a felty white reverse. secondly it is fairly cold tolerant but looks tropical, Thirdly it grows well in semi-shade and is comparatively drought tolerant and lastly […]

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  Macropiper excelsum

  Posted on July 14, 2017 by stephenryan in Collector Plants, drought tolerant, evergreen, Foliage plants, Good Pot Plant, shade tolerant, Shrubs, winter interest

  The New Zealand Pepper Bush is rarely grown in Australia but should be seen more. It has lovely heart shaped glossy green leaves on a dense bush to 3m tall and although the flowers aren’t particularly showy the green bullet shaped flower heads are interesting and add to the overall effect. the fact that it […]

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  Lindera obtusiloba

  Posted on July 12, 2017 by stephenryan in autumn colour, Collector Plants, Deciduous, Foliage plants, shade tolerant, Shrubs, winter interest

  This has to be one of the best large shrubs for autumn colour with its large leaves that can be entire with a heart shape, have one lobe looking  like a mitten or a lobe on both sides. So it is a great conversation piece as well as a great plant. It comes from Asia […]

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  Disterigma alaternoides

  Posted on May 4, 2017 by stephenryan in berries, Collector Plants, Edible, evergreen, Foliage plants, Good Pot Plant, shade tolerant, Shrubs, winter interest

  I have only met this plant recently as a struck cutting I bought at the AGM auction of Plant Trust an important organisation that registers plant collections. I have only had it a couple of years and it has been a winner in every respect as far as I am concerned. It is a neotropical […]

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  Euonymus fortunei ‘Coloratus’

  Posted on April 26, 2017 by stephenryan in autumn colour, berries, Climbing plants, drought tolerant, evergreen, Foliage plants, Good for cutting, Ground cover, shade tolerant, Shrubs, winter interest

  This has to be one of the most indestructible plants that I grow and although it is common it the U.S. and Europe is for some reason rarely offered in Australia. It is evergreen and its foliage will turn fabulous colours in winter if it is in enough cold and even if it doesn’t colour […]

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  Danae racemosa

  Posted on April 17, 2017 by stephenryan in Collector Plants, drought tolerant, evergreen, Foliage plants, Good for cutting, Ground cover, Perennials, shade tolerant, winter interest

  This slow growing evergreen plant from South West Asia to Iran has long been on my want list and over the last few years it has come my way as it should come yours! It is called Poet’s Laurel or Alexandrian Laurel and is in fact the plant used to make the wreaths that crowned […]

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  Viburnum plicatum ‘Grandiflorum’

  Posted on April 7, 2017 by stephenryan in autumn colour, Collector Plants, Deciduous, Good for cutting, shade tolerant, Shrubs

  An oldie but a goodie! Over the years more and more cultivars of this species have hit the market and many are great plants in their own right. However I don’t think any are an improvement on this the Japanese Snowball. This is a deciduous shrub to 2metres with branches in flat layers that alway […]

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  Cydonia sinensis

  Posted on April 6, 2017 by stephenryan in autumn colour, beautiful bark, Collector Plants, Deciduous, drought tolerant, Edible, Foliage plants, shade trees, Trees, winter interest

  The  Chinese Quince that was until recently called Pseudocydonia has to be one of the best small trees you could have! It has attractive deep pink flowers in mid spring followed by large oblong yellow fruit in summer that is by the way edible, then the foliage turns stunning colours in autumn and as if that wasn’t […]

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