Unusual perennials to grow
- BBC Gardeners' World Magazine
Published: Monday, 12 August 2019 at 7:11 am
Ring the changes in your garden by growing these striking herbaceous perennials.
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Perennials are the mainstay of our garden borders, providing colour from spring to autumn. There are thousands to choose from, with many familiar favourites earning their place in border displays year after year. It pays, though, to ring the changes and there are plenty of unusual, lesser-known species and varieties to try.
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- Unusual perennials for shade
- Unusual herbs to grow
- Unusual shrubs for autumn colour
Perk up your beds and borders, with these striking perennials.
Chinese fairy bells (Disporum longistylum)
If you're looking for an interesting plant to grow in shade, Disporum longistylum is a good option. The graceful foliage is similar to Solomon's seal, accompanied by pale flowers held on arched stems.
Porcelain berry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata)
The porcelain berry, Ampelopsis brevipedunculata, puts on spectacular show in autumn with clusters of berries in colours like blue, green, purple, cream and turquoise. Allowed to climb up a pergola, trellis or other support, it's guaranteed to catch the eye.
Sandersonia aurantiaca
This bulbous perennial has lantern-shaped flowers that positively glow luminous orange. Sandersonia aurantiaca isn't hardy, so in the UK can be grown in containers as a houseplant that can be moved outdoors in summer.
Gas plant (Dictamnus albus)
Dittany is otherwise known as the gas plant or burning bush, owing to a coating of oils that covers old flowers and seed pods. On a still day, the flammable vapour released by the oils builds up and can be lit with a match, causing a brief but dramatic flame.
Doll's eyes (Actaea pachypoda)
White baneberry, or doll's eyes (Actaea pachypoda) gets its name from the white summer berries, each of which is dotted with a black, pupil-like point. Held together in a loosely-packed cluster, the effect is rather striking! It's also a great plant for shade.
Arisaema spp.
Arisaema species, like this Arisaema nepenthoides, have very distinctive flowers, with an open 'hood', from which a spadix emerges, bearing numerous minute flowers. All arisaemas are capable of changing their sex based on their environment, genetics and the nutrients available to them.
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More unusual plants to discover
- Illicium floridanum – this species has stunning fuchsia flowers, which unfortunately have a fishy odour
- Solanum pyracanthum – the foliage of this tender annual is covered with bright orange-yellow spines to deter herbivores
- Welwitschia mirabilis – these long-lived plants survive in arid deserts with two leaves and several inches of annual rainfall
- Lithops spp. – succulent species resembling pebbles
- Haworthia truncata – like Lithops, these are compact, succulent plants, in this case resembling stacks of teeth
- Platycodon (balloon flower, Platycodon grandiflorus) – very unusual and eye-catching balloon-like buds that open to violet-blue flowers
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