Category: Drought tolerant
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Pinus patula
The Mexican pine has to be one of the most elegant species that you could grow as a specimen tree in a fair sized lawn and it is cold hardy (at least in Australia) and heat and drought tolerant as well. It will quickly grow to 20metres or so and its tassel like needles hanging
Stephen Ryan
Euhttps://stephenryan.com.au/wp-admin/update-core.phponymus fortunei radicans
Euonymus fortunei from Asia is a remarkably hardy and incredibly diverse species including trailing ground covers, climbers and even quite large shrubs. In the case of variety radicans it is a bit of a trailing ground cover that will also climb up any suitable surface and in both instances it is a light open plant
Stephen Ryan
Greyia sutherlandii
This hardy South African shrub grows to about 3metres over time, is deciduous in colder climates and has its spikes of brilliant red flowers for months during the spring. The leaves are large and bright green looking very like those of a zonal pelargonium, what some would still call a geranium. The shrub itself has
Stephen Ryan
Halimium ocymoides
This may or may not stay as a Halimium as I have heard that it may be dumped into Cistus which does seem logical. What ever it is it is a great evergreen (or perhaps evergrey) ground cover shrub for a sunny well drained site. It will grow to about 60cms. tall by up to
Stephen Ryan
Phymosia umbellata
This Hibiscus relative from Mexico is commonly called a Bush Mallow and has turned out to be a complete winner in my cool climate garden at Macedon. It has proven to be cold resistant and certainly drought and heat tolerant as one might expect and has grown to an upright shrub of 4metres in only
Stephen Ryan
Aucuba japonica ‘Rozannie’
The Genus Aucuba has for far too long been left out of the lime light which is fair enough in one sense as it likes heavy shade! the common varieties tend to have spotted variegated foliage which I think stands out superbly but by many people is seen as over the top and vulgar. Silly
Stephen Ryan
Skimmia x confusa
This Genus contains all evergreen shrubs of dense rounded habit that usually don’t grow more than about a metre tall by as wide in about 10 years. This supposed hybrid will rarely grow even half as tall. They all like constant shade as direct sun can bleach or even burn the leaves. They are all
Stephen Ryan
Wigandia caracasana
This amazing small tree has huge leaves that will entertain in more ways than one! they are bold to look at and can sting a bit like a weak stinging nettle, great to fool the unweary.In early summer it produces large clusters of deep mauve flowers to add to its exotic look. It is a
Stephen Ryan
Genista hispanica
The Spanish Gorse is a rarely seen but highly attractive non invasive ground cover shrub ideal for sunny dry banks. It grows to about 1metre tall by as much as 3metres wide and has spiky green stems without foliage for much of the year so is texturally interesting. Come spring it erupts with a mass
Stephen Ryan
Aucuba chinensis
I love plants with bold gutsy foliage particularly if they grow well in the shade and this evergreen shrub which obviously hails from China certainly does. It will grow to about 3metres tall and has glossy heavily veined leaves that can get to about 30cms. long and that at least for the time being is
Stephen Ryan