Polygonatum mengtzense tonkinense HWJ 573

A highly desirable evergreen 'solomon's seal' from Vietnam, originally obtained many years ago from Crug Farm. It has increased slowly since then and I now have enough to part with some bits.

Only about 10ins tall, the new shoots emerge deep maroon in spring turning dark green later, with the small rounded purple flowers dangling underneath the curving stems. These may be followed by red berries.

Hardy here in a sheltered woodland bed and doesn't seem to mind summer drought.

£15

New on the Nursery

 

Ribes speciosum

A classic with its rich red somewhat fuchsia-like flowers dangling all along the undersides of the stems in spring. The leaves are gooseberry-like and fresh green and the red stems are viciously thorny. 

Best trained on a sunny wall, but surprisingly tough with a little protection.
£18

Philadelphus mexicanus Rose Syringa

A slender willowy species with narrow grey-green leaves and neat rounded scented white flowers, marked with purple toward the centre in late spring. 

Best with shelter but seems quite hardy here. Makes a broad mound of weeping stems.
£18

Alchornea davidii

A remarkable shrub, little known in the UK – it has very broad (up to 10ins across) and beautifully textured heart-shaped leaves on stout upright stems. Deciduous but the new growth is vivid sugar pink. The flowers are inconspicuous. 

Subtropical but hardy down here in Sussex - benefits from summer heat and plenty of moisture to do its best. A member of the euphorbiaceae though looking nothing like a Euphorbia – closer to Mallotus japonicus but with much bigger leaves. 
£18

Clematis tashiroi

An evergreen species with broad, dark green leaves splashed with silver. The flowers are relatively small but very striking with recurved deep plum purple ‘petals’ contrasting with white filaments. 
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Very striking. A subtropical species needing warmth, shelter and moisture to thrive. Hardy here in Sussex but hasn't flowered yet.
£22

Fuchsia regia

Fuchsia regia Grey Leaf
 

Grown from AGS exchange seed as regia - the overall effect (semi-climbing) and the elegant flowers are typical regia, but the leaves are narrower and often somewhat grey-tinted. 

Hardy and easy - ideal for adorning early-flowering shrubs that have finished for the summer.
£10

Fuchsia regia Cherry

A bit of an enigma, this one. A wild-collected form with distinctive large red-veined glaucous leaves, slender, dusky pink flowers and a broad trailing habit. 

Given to me by Miriam Jacobs. She told me "Many of us received one like mine at a SIG meeting but don’t have the name. Mine came with the number 41-42". She's calling it Cherry until we know more about it.
£14

Piper aff. kadsura

The nearest we come to a hardy pepper plant. In all respects typical of the genus – a climber with nicely veined heart-shaped matt green leathery leaves to about 3ins across. I’ve not seen it flower but I assume they will be the normal pale, spadix-like inflorescences. 

Borderline hardy here at the nursery but we are rather exposed and dry. I’d try it in a milder, moister area, in woodland or a cool greenhouse. It went unscathed in my ‘frost-free’ greenhouse in December 2022 when many other supposedly hardier plants froze to death. Thanks to Mark Smith for this rarity.
£15

Hibiscus militaris

One of the southern US swamp mallows, related to the spectacular coccineum and moscheutos, but requiring less summer heat to grow and flower outdoors. Suitable for pond margins and swampy conditions in full sun. 

Fully frost hardy. The flowers are white or palest pink, with a dark pink eye, and about 4ins across, on 4-5ft stems. 

£15

Smallanthus uvedalia

Until a few years ago I'd been a bit prejudiced against the sunflower group because many have them are rather weedy and coarse, albeit bringing a cheerful splash of bright yellow to the late summer and autumn garden. Lately though I've come to appreciate some of them for their bold foliage and well-formed flowers - the bigger Silphiums are an obvious example - but then I discovered this hardy Smallanthus and I was just blown away. 

This magnificent species originally came from Tom Mitchell and I understand he collected it in the north-eastern USA himself. It's very tall, with broad-lobed leaves on the arching stems, and good- quality soft yellow flowers in autumn. The overall effect is huge and luxuriant and not at all ugly. It doesn't spread at the roots at all but produces a compact tuberous rootstock.

Fully hardy and easy to grow even in dry and poor soils - highly recommended.
£15

Two new Strobilanthes

A deservedly popular genus nowadays - especially valuable for their  late flowering and tolerance of dry shade.

Strobilanthes sp. large leaf sp. (Yunnan col. Jacky Pousse)

A stonking great species with fabulous big leaves up to 8ins long, beautifully veined, and tinted purple on the reverse. 

Hardly tried outside in the UK so far and I’ve not seen the flowers but promises to be an amazing addition to a sheltered woodland garden. Thanks to Mike Clifford for this. According to Alan Gregg this is S.mastersii. 
£16

Strobilanthes lactea

A beautiful species with silver-white bands either side of the midrib of each leaf – these really shine out in shady conditions. 

I’ve not seen the flowers yet and this species is largely untested for hardiness in the UK but is categorised as z8 in the USA so should be fine with a bit of shelter over most of the southern and western regions. Like other Strobilanthes this is going to be an excellent addition to the woodland garden especially for late summer and autumn. Thanks again to Mike Clifford.
£12