Plant Encyclopedia
Discover plants for your garden — filter by sun, water, bloom time and more.
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9 plants
PerennialsAcanthus mollis
Bear's Breeches
Bear's Breeches is an architectural perennial with large, deeply lobed, glossy dark green leaves that have inspired the Corinthian column in architecture for centuries. In summer, impressive flower spikes up to 1.5 metres tall bear white and purple hooded blooms. A true eye-catcher in any border.
PerennialsAgave americana
Century Plant
The century plant is an imposing rosette-forming succulent with broad, blue-green, sharply pointed leaves reaching up to two metres in length. The plant grows for decades before flowering once with a spectacular, multi-metre tall flower stalk — after which the mother plant dies, leaving behind offsets. As an architectural focal point it fits perfectly in modern and Mediterranean gardens.
PerennialsCrambe cordifolia
Greater Sea Kale
Greater Sea Kale is a spectacular perennial that produces a cloud of thousands of tiny white flowers on widely branching stems in June and July. The bloom resembles a giant white Gypsophila and is truly breathtaking. The large, rounded, dark green leaves form a substantial rosette at the base. An unmatched presence in the summer border.
PerennialsEuphorbia characias
Mediterranean Spurge
Mediterranean Spurge is an architectural, evergreen perennial with blue-green foliage and striking yellow-green flower heads in spring. The columnar flower stems can reach 120 cm and bring colour and structure to the garden early in the season.
ShrubsFatsia japonica
Japanese Aralia
Japanese aralia is a tough evergreen shrub with spectacularly large, glossy dark green, palmate leaves that create an exotic, tropical feel. In October and November rounded clusters of creamy-white flowers appear, followed by black berries that attract birds. Excellent as a structural plant in shady gardens.
PerennialsPhormium tenax
New Zealand Flax
New Zealand flax is a vigorous evergreen plant with long, sword-shaped, stiffly upright leaves that create a spectacular architectural statement. Cultivars come in green, bronze, red and striped forms. At maturity a tall flower stalk appears with dark red tubular flowers that attract birds. A showpiece in modern and coastal gardens.
PerennialsRodgersia pinnata
Featherleaf Rodgersia
Featherleaf rodgersia is an imposing foliage plant with large, pinnate, bronze-green leaves that emerge with a striking bronze tint in spring. The plume-shaped pink flowers appear in June and July, towering above the foliage. An architectural plant for moist, sheltered spots.
PerennialsStrelitzia reginae
Bird of Paradise
The bird of paradise is a striking tropical plant with sturdy, blue-green, banana-like leaves and spectacular flowers resembling the head of an exotic bird. The blooms combine vivid orange sepals with sky-blue petals and appear almost year-round. An architectural showpiece as a container plant.
PerennialsYucca filamentosa
Adam's Needle
Adam's needle is a robust evergreen plant with sword-shaped leaves growing in a compact rosette. Characteristic curling threads line the leaf edges. In summer an impressive flower stalk rises up to one and a half metres, laden with creamy-white bell-shaped flowers. Surprisingly hardy for a plant with such an exotic appearance.