#redseeds

Plant of the Day

Wednesday 3 June 2020

Ideal for growing in dry shade the evergreen perennial, Iris foetidissima (stinking iris, roast beef plant, scarlet-seeded iris, stinking gladwin) is a native of UK woodlands. The major display is not the delicate flowers but the resulting large pods which open to show bright orange-red seeds, which persist through the winter. The leaves when torn have the distinctive smell of marmite or bacon.

Plant of the Day

Friday 1 December 2017

Through the archway in the Taxus baccata (yew) hedge is the winter display of the scarlet seeds of the strong-growing deciduous climber Celastrus orbiculatus (oriental bittersweet). Earlier in the autumn the rounded leaves would have glowed with a butter-yellow. An hermaphrodite form is available, so that fruit can appear from a single plant. The plant requires a well-drained soil in full sun, but will tolerate partial shade and needs a strong support structure as it is a vigorous climber. Introduced from East Asia this plant should be treated with caution as in the USA this species is considered invasive.