Common name: Francisca hebe

Family name: Plantaginaceae

Description: large leaved hebe with grey-green foliage and purple flowers.

Flower: Purple flowers

Foliage: Broad, oval, grey-green leaves decussately arranged with entire margins.

Growing conditions: Full sun; good drainage, good air circulation; needs overhead protection but no shade.

Height and spread: 2.5m by 3m

Limitations: Can’t tolerant shade very well.

Landscape uses: This shrub has a really nice texture. Rock garden, mid border, hedging, salt tolerant so can be used in maritime landscapes.

Common name: holly fern

Family name: Dryopteridaceae

Description: vase shaped, low growing, evergreen fern with leaves shaped like holly leaves.

Flower: n/a

Foliage: Green, glossy, sickle-shaped leaves that resemble holly leaves, except for the colour which is a lighter green.

Growing conditions: Full shade to part shade; humus rich, well-drained soil; good soil drainage is essential to prevent the roots from rotting.

Height and spread: 0.6m

Landscape uses: An interesting fern as they fronds are not divided into many pinnate and bipinnate leaflets, but entire leaves. Woodland areas and shaded areas of borders or rock gardens. Border for tree or shrub areas. May be grown as a houseplant.

The red spores can be seen on the back of the frond

Common name: autumn fern

Family name: Dryopteridaceae

Description: Fern with an arching, vase-like habit and yellow green fronds. Spores on the back of each frond are cherry red in colour.

Flower: n/a

Foliage: New growth is coppery in colour. Foliage has a feathery texture.

Growing conditions: Deep shade/filtered shade/ part sun; humus rich, well-drained soil; moderate water useage.

Height and spread: 0.4-0.7m by 0.3-0.6m

Limitations: Can get fungal leaf spot or rust.

Landscape uses: I like this fern because it is delicate looking with unusual red spores on the backs of the fronds. I also like how the foliage changes colour through the season, from coppery to light green to dark green in the fall, giving it a little more interest that your average fern.

Common name: cardoon

Family name: Asteraceae

Description: A very tall, architectural plant, it often grows taller than a human.

Flower: Fluffy-looking purple-blue flowers that cap an artichoke-like, spiny, base.

Foliage: Large, lobed leaves with deep sinuses and a very coarse texture.

Growing conditions: Full sun; very drought tolerant, can survive in an unirrigated landscape.

Height and spread: 2-3m by 1.5-2m

Limitations: Once it flowers it dies to the ground except for its basal offshoots, so it could leave a bit of a hole in the landscape.

Landscape uses: This plant has an overall very spiny and interesting look to it. That combined with its statuesque size, and interesting purple flowers, it is very eye-catching in the landscape. As it is so tall, it would look best at the back of the border. This plant would also look good in a more architectural setting, where it’s size and form allow it to hold its own in an urban landscape.

Common name: anise hyssop

Family name: Lamiaceae

Description: Lively looking plant with lanceolate green leaves that point upwards, and purple/lavender flowers. This plant has a very tidy habit and is not prone to spreading.

Flower: Terminal spikes of purple to lavender flowers. The flowers have a fuzzy appearance upon close inspection. Flowers June to September.

Foliage: Lanceolate, medium green, textured leaves that have a distinct upwards slant, giving the plant a very lively appearance. Foliage is anise scented.

Growing conditions: Full sun to part shade, best in full sun; prefers moist soil, but can make do with less moisture; well-drained soil. Deadhead spent flowers to promote additional flowering.

Height and spread: 1.25m by 1m

Landscape uses: Attracts bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. It’s tidy habit and relatively adaptable nature makes it suitable for many locations.

Common name: Chilean flame vine

Family name: Tropaeolaceae

Description: This vine is a slender climber with delicate-looking foliage and bright red flowers. It spreads via long, fleshy rhizomes.

Flower: Long spurred, showy, bright scarlet flowers followed by bright blue fruit held in red bracts.

Foliage: Delicate rounded leaves composed of 5-7 obovate leaflets.

Growing conditions: Prefers cool, moist conditions in summer; plant roots in the shade where the plant can grow into the sunlight. Likes cool, moist, humus-rich soil.

Height and spread: 2.5-4m by 0.5-1m.

Limitations: This plant can be tricky to establish, but is fairly easy to maintain from that point on.

Landscape uses: Can be planted to climb evergreen hedges, trellises, the side of a building. This plant is overall just very attractive, from the foliage, to the flower and fruit, which give it multi-season interest. The red flowers would look great combined with purple-blue flowers, as long as they match in intensity of colour.

Common name:  strawberry begonia

Family name: Saxifragaceae

Description: Groundcover with begonia-like, glossy leaves and tiny, white, bearded flowers that rise above the foliage on delicate stalks.

Flower: Asymmetrical, small and white. Five petals in total–three small above, two large hanging below, giving a bearded appearance. Held on slender stalks above the foliage.

Foliage: Leaves are evergreen, rounded, with scalloped edges and pink/red undersides. Leaves are held on stolons, or runners, much like strawberry plants.

Growing conditions: Filtered shade, part sun/part shade; well-drained soil; moderate water use.

Height and spread: 0.2-0.4m by 0.3-0.6m

Limitations: No serious pests or diseases.

Landscape uses: This plant responds best to shady conditions such as woodland margins. Acts as a ground cover. The white flowers are very delicate, and look quite lovely when they are numerous, hovering over the foliage.

Common name: fireglow spurge

Family name: Euphorbiaceae

Description: Tall plant with an arching, spreading habit, reddish stems, and green lanceolate leaves that turn many shades of fiery red in the fall. Flowers are also a red colour.

Flower: Similar to typical Euphorbia flowers, but are a fiery orange and yellow in colour. Peak flowering time is May-June.

Foliage: Simple. alternately arranged, lanceolate, green leaves. They turn red in the fall, depending on how much sun the plant receives.

Growing conditions: Full sun; needs moisture and can grow in boggy conditions; rich soil.

Height and spread: 0.7-1.3m by 0.6-1.0m

Limitations: Shade intolerant. Poisonous sap, which can be a hazard if planted near a playground for example.

Landscape uses: Grows quite tall, so suitable for back of the border. Leaves burnished red in autumn provide seasonal interest

Common name: gooseneck loosestrife

Family name: Primulaceae

Description: Stalks with alternately arranged, lanceolate leaves and terminal raceme of white flowers, curved like a goose neck. Colony forming.

Flower: Drooping, white, raceme that curves like a goose’s neck. Very showy and in bloom July to September.

Foliage: Lanceolate, alternately arranged, bright green leaves that are fuzzy on top and red at the base of the petioles.

Growing conditions: Deep shade, filtered shade, part sun; well-drained soil; moderate water use.

Height and spread: 0.7-1.3m by 1.0-1.5m

Limitations:

Landscape uses: Attractive in foliage, even when the flowers are done. Mixed shrub border, perennial border,  woodland margin.

Common name: viper’s bugloss

Family name: Boraginaceae

Description: Upright and bristly biennial with purple-blue, bell shaped flowers and hairy, lanceolate, green leaves. Plant has an overall bush-like habit.

Flower: Bell-shaped, violet-blue flowers held in dense spikes, or ‘helicoide cyme.’ New flower buds appear pink.

Foliage: Green, lanceolate leaves covered in hairs.

Growing conditions: Needs a dry, sunny location.

Height and spread: 0.5-1m by 0.5-1m

Landscape uses: Grown for its beautiful violet-blue flowers. It can look a bit spread-y and messy so it may not be suitable for a very formal garden. Looks good in a meadow-like setting. E.vulgare is an excellent be attracting plant.