Tender Plants

Seldom offered as seed, Abutilon x hybridum is a popular group of hybrids that are frost-tender shrubs typically growing 60 to 90cm tall. The lantern-like buds open to solitary, pendulous, bell shaped flowers up to 8cm in diameter.

Commonly known as the Cat's Tail Aloe, Aloe castanea is one of the larger ‘shrub’ aloes available to the home gardener. The rosette gives rise to multiple, fuzzy, orange racemes which are held upright and curve like a cat’s tail.

The Cape Aloe is a distinctly handsome plant, with broad, lance-shaped, fleshy leaves and a large candelabra-like flower-head. There are usually between five and eight branches, each carrying a spike-like head of many flowers.

One of the most attractive and floriferous of Aloes of South Africa, Aloe microstigma, forms solitary or small clumps of beautiful rosettes of blue green leaves. The leaves are adorned with conspicuous white spots, which contrast nicely with the reddish teeth along the margins.

Aloe striata, commonly known as the Coral Aloe is one of the prettiest of all succulents. The smooth, blue-green leaves are edged with a pink or red margin and it blooms with coral coloured flowers. Grown with Agave, cacti or other succulents, they make stunning indoor displays.

Arctotis was born to play a starring role, they are among the most brilliant of all flowers. 'Harlequin' is a beautiful strain with large, brilliantly coloured flowers with many different combinations, some with contrasting tones and all with a luminescent sheen. You'd be hard-pushed to find better performing plants.

These exotic beauties, native to South America, can transform a terrace or patio into a tropical paradise. Angel Trumpets are large shrubs with lush foliage and masses of delightfully fragrant trumpets. In the cool, moist air of evening, their fragrance is spellbinding.

This shrubby brugmansia is a heavy bearer of stunning pendulous yellow flowers, it is delightful when grown in a patio pot and may be grown indoors with bright light and warmth, where it can be pruned to desirable size. The flowers are especially fragrant in the evening.

Brugmansia suaveolens, or 'Angel Trumpets' are large shrubs with lush foliage and masses of delightfully fragrant blooms. Often blooming the first year from seed, a mature plant may display as many as 80 to 100 blooms at one time. They can transform a terrace or patio into a tropical paradise.

Growing cacti is an addictive hobby and be much easier than commonly perceived. This premium cactus seed mix of a variety of species includes the famous and magnificent Saguaro Cactus. They germinate easily, grow slowly, but compared to many plants need relatively little care.

These rare seeds are for the world famous Cananga odorata tree. 'Ylang-Ylang' which means 'flowers of flowers', and is among the most celebrated flowering trees in the world. The blossoms are distilled to obtain 'cananga oil' which is used to manufacture the world famous Chanel No. 5.

Canna 'Large Flowered Hybrids' create an undeniably tropical look, producing large flowers in hot colours in yellow, gold, fiery orange and red. With their lush tropical foliage and showy flowers they make borders and beds come alive with their bright colours all summer long until first frosts.

Grown for its outstanding foliage colours, the Kong series of coleus boasts extremely large leaves with irregular edges, each leaf is easily as big as your palm, and probably twice as large as the next biggest Coleus you can buy. 'Kong Red' displays a broad vein of brilliant red down the centre of each leaf.

Coleus has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. The new breeding has taken a handful of series and exploded them into hundreds of wild and crazy types of colours and forms. Coleus 'Kong Rose' has huge leaves that are rose in the center, with a band of burgundy that flows out to chartreuse edges.

Coleus 'Kong Salmon-Pink' feature huge leaves that are coral in the center surrounded by a band of chocolate-brown edged in bright green. The plants grow 45 to 55cm tall in the garden, with a spread of around 38 to 45cm. Kept in the shade or partial shade, it is hard to go wrong with this plant.

Coleus 'Kong Scarlet' has huge leaves that are dark red with veins trailing out to chartreuse edges. Coleus colours become more vibrant when they get more shade. This is very unusual behaviour, and explains why Coleus is a popular choice for under-the-tree plantings and shade-of-the-building gardens.

The 'Wizard' Series is an excellent example of the new developments of coleus, it is the best seed raised strain for bedding and containers. From the brilliant apricot-bronze Sunset, to red-veined maroon Velvet Red, each is a distinctive work of art. The heart-shaped leaves show their colour early and keeps its hues right through the worst summer heat and humidity. Available in single colours or as a mix.

This wonderful Victorian type coleus ‘Black Dragon’ forms a riot of rumpled leaves in velvety purplish black leaves, each bordered by frilly edges. The ruby red centres are sometimes flecked with violet or pink. Easy to grow from seed, they will show their first colours in as little as two weeks.

The prettiest and neatest Coleus to come along in quite a while, 'Chocolate Mint' offers rich cocoa coloured foliage with a mint-green scalloped edge on mounding plants. The leaves are very uniform, turn them over and they gleam bright mint. Scrumptious!

This delectable coleus will have you enamoured with its velvety chocolate-brown foliage and scalloped foliage.‘Dark Chocolate’ is breathtaking, its foliage shades darker in part or light shade and leans to burgundy in full sun. Very showy, Dark Chocolate makes an impression, even from a distance.

Cyperus alternifolius is a very popular both as a house plant and pond plant. The bracts are symmetrically arranged in an umbrella formation and held atop elegant stems that sway with the breeze, giving a tropical touch to the garden. They are also excellent when used in fresh or dried floral arrangements.