Photinia glomerata

This looks a lot like what Hilliers manual describes as ‘Formosan form’, and for a while I was offering it as P.prionophylla, but I am assured that this is the correct identification. It’s a very gorgeous shrub nevertheless - more rounded and compact than P.serratifolia, with broad rounded leaves (to about 3ins across) opening a rich mahogany in early spring, with a soft downy white covering. 

The flowers are the normal type. Easy and adaptable and tolerant of heavy and wet soils.
£18

Euonymus clivicola rongchuensis HIRD 103

A very slender graceful evergreen Asian species related to cornutus with delicate brownish flowers giving way to strange narrow lobed fruits holding the usual orange seeds. 

Adaptable but especially suitable for dry woodlands. Very choice.

£18

Buddleja curviflora

 
A very attractive and non-suckering relative of B.lindleyana with similar curved violet flowers but more attractive grey fawn felted foliage.

Hardy and adaptable.
£16

Asclepias speciosa

A stunning perennial with soft silky white foliage and showy heads of intricate rosy flowers. This has a long history of cultivation in the UK and is fully hardy, so its rarity here is a mystery. 

In the wild it is found on both dry poor soils and moist marginal conditions so should be highly adaptable. It does however need plenty of sun. It's only disadvantage perhaps is that it runs about pretty freely underground, so best with other vigorous hardy perennials and low shrubs. 

At the nursery it is competing with another vigorous spreader - Euphorbia sikkimensis. 

£16

Allium insubricum

A gorgeous little garlic with quite large nodding pink bell flowers – almost like a tiny Dierama. Suitable for a sunny well-drained spot, without too much competition.
£8

Phlomis lychnitis

A lovely low-growing Spanish species. Soft yellow flower heads are produced on trailing silver/grey stems in summer. 

Not as easy-going as their taller relatives – needing full sun and very well drained conditions, and not too much cold and wet. Great in clay pots.
£12

Berberis triacanthophora Cally Rose

A distinctive species with dark reddish flowers on a low bushy shrub with narrow prickly leaves. 

Hardy evergreen, slow growing and compact. Very likeable.

£18

Buddleja speciosissima

A splendid species from southern Brazil with long tubular orange red flowers in summer. The foliage is also long and narrow, to about 8ins long, 2ins wide, and heavily felted white beneath and on the stems. 

So far this has not been at all damaged in my unheated tunnel and other reports tell us that it’s a good hardy species for at least southern England. 

(If you doubt this remember that several other good garden plants come from a similar part of the world, Salvia uliginosa, Abutilon megapotamicum, Alstroemeria psittacina and Passiflora caerulea for example.)
Sold out  - rooting cuttings now

Aristolochia californica

These have been painfully slow to mature but I finally have a few big enough to sell. 

Little pinkish brown jugs about 1½ inches across are produced very profusely on the leafless stems in early spring. The leaves appear soon after and are soft green and heart-shaped. A vigorous but not overwhelming climber. Here it grows well in sun or shade and is completely hardy. Some early flowers may be frosted so a sheltered spot among shrubs is best. 

A brilliant plant – I love it.

£20

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.

Sold out for now

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. 
pic
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.
sold out for now

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

Gibasis sp. Jose Puig

A houseplant related to the ever-popular Tradescantias, and very like a small version of those, with deep maroon foliage and small white flowers. 

Easy and manageable (not weedy) in a sunny window.
£6

Balbisia gracilis

Aka Wendtia gracilis - known locally as the 'oreganillo amarillo'. This is a very special small shrub from Chile belonging to the ledocarpaceae, related to Melianthus and Francoa, but looking nothing like either of those plants – perhaps more like a small yellow-flowering Ribes or Potentilla.

Small, delicate, finely cut glaucous leaves, and profuse small yellow flowers with prominent red stigma on wiry stems in summer. 

A nice thing for a sunny well-drained spot and should be hardy over much of the southern half or the UK. Thanks to Ann Cann for this very rare plant. 
£15

Impatiens flanaganae

An African species related to the better known I.tinctoria. Overall it is smaller and has deep flesh pink flowers. 

My experience of it here is that it is hardy and not difficult to grow but needs a rich moist soil to do well.

£10