Plant of the Day

Tuesday 21 January 2025

The new stems of Cornus sericea 'Cardinal' (red osier dogwood) create bright thickets of yellow to orange-red stems. This suckering, deciduous shrub also provides autumn colour and will grow in most soil conditions in sun or partial shade.

Plant of the Day

Tuesday 26 October 2021

A useful plant for autumn is Clerodendrum bungei (glory flower) providing there is space for it to spread. This is a suckering shrub that can be cut back each year like an herbaceous perennial. The large leaveas have a distinctive scent similar to Marmite but the terminal clusters of small pink flowers are sweetly fragrant.

Plant of the Day

Monday 6 December 2021

The semi-evergreen suckering shrub Rubus lineatus (silky-leaved berry) was described by the plantsman Graham Stuart Thomas as having "the most beautiful leaves of any Rubus". The foliage is deeply veined with silver underneath, it has red fruits in the autumn.

Plant of the Day

Wednesday 5 May 2021

The new foliage of Sorbaria sorbifolia 'Sem' attracts attention at this time of the year, but this thicket-forming deciduous shrub can be invasive so it should be used with care. The flushed pink-bronze leaves of spring turn green in summer and provide red autumn colour.

Plant of the Day

Sunday 6 September 2020

Creating an under storey of sweet-scented pink flowers in autumn is Clerodendrum bungei (glory flower). This suckering deciduous shrub will roam through a border or even a garden, but needs a sheltered site.

Plant of the Day

Thursday 6 August 2020

A large suckering deciduous shrub from the woodlands of the southeastern states of the USA is Aesculus parviflora (bottlebrush buckeye). The palmate leaves open as a bronze colour, then turning dark green, and finally yellow in autumn. The white flowers have prominent stamens and are popular with the bees and other insects. I like the way the flowers form a misty appearance above the foliage.

Plant of the Day

Tuesday 13 August 2019

A beautiful group of Aesculus parviflora (bottlebrush buckeye, dwarf buckeye, dwarf horse chestnut) were flowering between the meadow and the woodland, they appreciate partial shade. This large suckering deciduous shrub has palmate leaves which start bronze and then turn dark green and finally yellow in the autumn. The white flowers had prominent stamens and were attracting the pollinators.