Some Unusual Plants
By Ian Phillips, owner. www.Letsgoplanting.co.uk
We all like to grow something out of the
ordinary in our gardens, it gives a good
talking point when chatting to friends,
or sometimes it is just a case of pure
brinkmanship!
Many unusual plants are just that for a
very good reason. Some may be difficult
to grow or propagate, some will have more
demanding cultural requirements like
the very much sought after Embothrium
lanceolatum…. the Chilean Fire Bush….
which is a very beautiful but sometimes
challenging shrub. This plant has evolved
in the southern hemisphere, from Tierra
del Fuego to Southern Chile and is ac-
customed to growing in poor, acidic soils…
It does not like chalky soils and it will not
tolerate phosphate. A peaty or sandy soil
with very low nutrients are ideal and when
well placed can become a dazzling sight
in July when covered with masses of vivid
red flowers.
Not all unusual plants are difficult to
grow though, and here are a few of my
favourites that virtually anyone with even
a minimum of gardening experience can
grow without any trouble.
Danae Racemosa or Alexandrian Laurel
is indeed a charming, small, slow growing,
evergreen suitable for shady areas, even
with dry soils, with its arching sprays
of narrow, polished green leaves. The
orange-red fruits are produced after hot
summers. Height and spread is around 1.2
metres and has an Award of Garden Merit
from the RHS.
into a tree, especially one with contrasting
purple leaves.
Hemerocallis Golden Zebra. This varie-
gated Daylily is definitely one of the best
standout plants around with its fun-
nel-shaped rich yellow flowers and yellow
variegated leaves during the summer
months. Grow in borders or containers in
full sun.
Cladrastis Lutea, or Kentucky Yellow
Wood is a very handsome medium sized
tree that produces long, drooping, wiste-
ria-like panicles of fragrant white flowers
in June. As if that was not enough, the
leaves turn the most beautiful shade of
yellow before falling in the autumn.
berries of this plant are used as a red food
colouring and in manufacturing it is used
to make ink and dye. Some parts are even
used as medicine. My advice is: Do not
ingest!!
Rubus Spectabilis Golden Leaf or Salm-
onberry This is a completely new form
which was found on our own nursery just
a few years ago and will be coming on to
the commercial market soon. It has the
double attributes of not only having spec-
tacular fully double magenta-rose flowers
but the leaf is an attractive golden yellow.
This shrub will grow to about 1.4 metres
tall and 1.2 meters spread, but in our view
is probably best pruned back each year in
springtime to encourage the fresh bright
yellow foliage to emerge.
Fatsia Spiders Web or Japanese Aralia
is a fairly new variety which is primarily
grown for its handsome foliage which
gives it the appearance of having being
frosted with icing sugar. Planted in a
sheltered position, it would add light and
colour to a shady area.
Chionanthus Retusus or Chinese Fringe
Tree. This little beauty will grow either
as a deciduous shrub or small to medi-
um sized tree and its party piece arrives
in June or July in the form of billowy
clusters of fragrant snow white flowers
followed by damson-like fruits. Native to
eastern Asia, it also benefits from having
an attractive thick fissured bark.
Lobelia Tupa (ABOVE) sometimes known
as Devils Tobacco! Whilst I certainly could
not condone smoking the leaves from this
plant (it apparently has hallucinogenic
properties!) it does have a some redeem-
ing features… native to central Chile, it is
a semi-evergreen perennial growing to
a height of up to 2 metres with reddish
purple stems and racemes of tubular,
bright red flowers in late summer and
autumn. A truly magnificent feature plant
for sheltered gardens in full sun and a
deep moist soil.
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Vitis Chasselas Ciotat (ABOVE), the Pars-
ley Leaved Vine is good enough to rival
any Japanese Maple for lacy foliage with
the added benefit that you can harvest
the juicy black grapes too. A vigorous
climber, best grown on a sturdy pergola or
40 Landscape & Urban Design
Phytolacca Americana (ABOVE), also
going by the name of Red Ink Plant is a
tall growing herbaceous plant with red
arching stems topped with racemes of
white or pale pink flowers followed soon
after by deep purple/black fruit in the
autumn. There is also another variety of
this plant named `Silberstein` with pretty
variegated leaves and smaller stature. The