Category: Winter interest
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Euonymus fortunei ‘Coloratus’
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
Stephen Ryan
Araucaria angustifolia
This amazing evergreen conifer is native to Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay and is rarely offered in Australia. It is commonly called the Candelabra Tree or Parana Pine.It will grow quite quickly in an open sunny site and you only have to look at the picture I have included of the tree planted in the Melbourne
Stephen Ryan
Danae racemosa
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
Stephen Ryan
Cydonia sinensis
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
Stephen Ryan
Oxalis melanosticta
I love the autumn because the winter growing Oxalis suddenly start to erupt out of the ground and yes I know that includes the weedy ones but with so many species in the Genus (some hundreds apparently) they can’t all be weeds obviously. One of the early ones is this lovely yellow flowered African species
Stephen Ryan
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
Hamamelis intermedia ‘Pallida’
This amazing Genus of deciduous and mainly winter flowering shrubs are a joy in any sheltered garden in the cooler climates. I have a specimen of ‘Pallida’ in my nursery display garden that was planted in 1986 and it is now about 4metres tall and with its spreading horizontal branches at least 6metres across. I
Stephen Ryan
Cyclamen cilicium
This charming little species is rarely grown in Australia and for no god reason as it is hardy, showy and self seeds well in a semi-shaded aspect in Southern Australia. Perhaps as it is autumnal in flower it is overlooked for the more common species of C. hederifolium which is better known and also worth
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