Category: Drought tolerant
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Ruscus hypoglossum
This is the plant if you need something for the darkest,driest, spot in the garden, you could probably grow it in a cupboard, in fact it won’t like you if you try growing it in a sunny spot! It is actually an evergreen perennial although it looks more like a shrub and it grows to
Stephen Ryan
Berberis julianae ‘Spring Glory’
I imported this shrub some time back and it didn’t have a recognised name at the time and was called something or other of Hort. There is a picture of this very plant in Michael Dirr’s book and the above is what he calls it. So it will have to do for now. Whatever it
Stephen Ryan
Kolkwitzia amabilis
This large arching deciduous shrub from China isn’t seen anywhere near enough in Australian gardens. It is cold hardy, reasonably drought tolerant and will grow well in sun or semi-shade. It can easily reach 3 to 4metres tall and in late spring its arching elegant branches are covered with a mass of little pink trumpets
Stephen Ryan
Symphoricarpos albus
The Snow berry from North America is a tough as guts deciduous shrub to about a metre and a half with rounded leaves and clusters of stunning white berries in late summer and autumn. It does tend to sucker fairly strongly so allow it room or be prepared to extract those that wander too far.
Stephen Ryan
Sambucus nigra canadensis ‘Maxima’
Apparently the name of this plant at least for now. I brought it in to Australia without the nigra bit in its name. What ever you call it it is a great hardy suckering deciduous shrub to 3metres with heads of tiny white scented flowers in late spring and early summer that can be over
Stephen Ryan
Exochorda giraldii
One of the highlights of spring has to be the Pearl Bush (Exochorda) with its pearl like flower buds opening to a mass of pure white blossom. It is a hardy deciduous shrub to 3 or 4 metres that is cold hardy and sun tolerant and will in fact grow well in almost any sunny
Stephen Ryan
Ferula linkii
This amazing perennial comes from the Canary Islands and is one of the tallest of the Genus that in flower can reach 3 to 4metres tall. Its foliage comes up in winter and looks like Fennel on steroides and in fact they are commonly called Giant Fennel and where the botanical name comes from. The
Stephen Ryan
Ribes speciosum
Flowering Currants are usually hardy shrubs and perhaps a little old fashioned in the eyes of some although the Honeyeaters seem to still love them. The above species from California is however something quite different with its spiny arching stems and pendant scarlet tubular flowers in late winter and early spring. It is drought tolerant
Stephen Ryan
Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’
The Crazy Filbert has to be one of the best conversation piece plants you could have in your garden especially for its winter effect. It will eventually become a large shrub and its main claim to fame are the twisted contorted branches which in late winter are festooned with pale yellow catkins. No one can
Stephen Ryan
Bystropogon canariensis
This is an evergreen shrub funnily enough from the Canary Islands with small grey-green leaves with a Pennyroyal scent so plant it near where you walk so as to brush past it. It is however for its masses of fluffy grey flowers produced almost throughout the summer and autumn that you would chiefly grow it.
Stephen Ryan