Category: Winter interest
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Roldana petisitis
Once included in Senecio this soft wooded shrub will quickly grow to 3 metres or so and with its huge round furry leaves make a tropical statement in any garden. In winter it produces large panicles of tiny yellow daisies to add to the fun. It will grow well in sun or shade and although
Stephen Ryan
Viburnum Henryi
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
Stephen Ryan
Rubus lineatus
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
Stephen Ryan
Brachyglottis repanda
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
Stephen Ryan
Juncus effusus ‘Spiralis’
If you are looking for a plant that will be a talking point and entertain children of all ages this could be the one for you! It is a clump forming evergreen rush that is grown for its stems which corkscrew in a most endearing way, each with a different amount of twirl so as
Stephen Ryan
Clematis napaulensis
This has to be about the strangest but none the less useful and pretty species in the Genus. It produces its pale green bells with purple stamens in the midst of winter and they are nectar rich bird feeders, so this alone should get you planting. Afterwards it has huge flufly seed heads in spring
Stephen Ryan
Macropiper excelsum
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
Stephen Ryan
Lindera obtusiloba
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
Stephen Ryan
Narcissus cyclamineus
This has to be one of the most beautiful species daffodils and rarely offered for sale in Australia. It is exceptionally slow to multiply and so is best raised from seed which needs to be hand pollinated to set. It usually takes at the least 3 years to reach flowering size and unlike other daffodils
Stephen Ryan
Disterigma alaternoides
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
Stephen Ryan