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Philodendron ‘Xanadu’ If you’re after a dramatic effect and a tropical look in your garden, consider Philodendron ‘Xanadu’, one of the world’s great landscaping plants. Discovered in Western Australia in 1983 as a chance seedling,...
Gymea Lily Don looked at an extremely rare, white flowering form of Gymea lily (Doryanthes excelsa). The white flowering form is rare because Gymea lily flowers produce nectar and are pollinated by nectar feeding birds, but birds prefer the colour red. Therefore a...
Helleborus Native to the mountainous regions of Europe, Greece and Asia Minor, Helleborus niger is a member of the Ranunculaceae, or buttercup family. It has pure white blossoms which bloom at Christmas time in the northern hemisphere, hence the common name Christmas...
Hippeastrums are big, bold, voluptuous and brassy and their strong colours work particularly well in our bright Australian light. Wild species grow in South America, but the varieties sold today are the result of years of intensive hybridising. Blooms are now large,...
Fact Sheet: Hydrangeas Hydrangeas are wonderful, hardy shrubs that would certainly have to be included on a list of the ten best flowering plants in the world. Some people remember hydrangeas growing in their grandmother’s garden, and think of them as old...
Kalmia Kalmia latifolia is an unusual shrub which is native to eastern North America. It is a beautiful shrub with interesting flowers that is suitable in the cooler regions of Australia. Plant details Common name: Mountain Laurel, Calico Bush Botanical name: Kalmia...
Kennedia nigricans Plants with black foliage or flowers can be very stylish in particular landscaping situations, for example used as borders in bright areas, with white concrete, or near a white house. Don looked at two plants which might make an interesting...
Lechenaultias in Sydney Every year around this time garden lovers, botanists and horticulturists head to Western Australia to see some of the most spectacular displays of wildflowers in the world. Unfortunately, beautiful wildflowers like blue lechenaultia...
Luculia The luculia was introduced to the west by plant hunter, Ernest ‘Chinese’ Wilson. It occurs naturally on lightly wooded hills in the lower Himalayas to Yunnan, where apparently it grows in large forests. In the home garden it’s hard enough to...
Flower Carpet Red Rose A new rose in the Flower Carpet series is Flower Carpet Red. Like the other Flower Carpet roses it is claimed to be resistant to black spot, powdery mildew and fungal diseases that plague other roses. It is a lovely ground cover with dark red...