One for the winter

Winter Heliotrope is a real winter gem! It used to be grown in gardens, but has fallen from favour now. It often survives in old gardens and along footpaths in towns and villages. We should bring it back as it is a beautiful plant that flowers in December and January.

 

Thats nice i cant say i have ever seen one..at least it looks cheerfull for the winter..

 

p.s we will have to have a competition to see who spots one first !!

 

It is described as being invasive like the large Petasites Hybridus- but if it's not common I don't see that it can be?

 

The leaves are much smaller than the wild butterbur. It likes damp shade and can be in flower from November until March. Wonder if Plant Hunter lists a supplier. Imagine how it would brighten a damp shady bed in mid winter!

 

I have just spent ages hunting for a supplier and found just one:
http://www.historicalplants.co.uk/index.html
They list this plant, and do mail order, but I haven't ben able to contact them by phone. They're in Anglesey.

 

Well done Liz! I know where some plants are and they look to be very vulnerable by a pavement in town. Will try to get some seeds or even offsets if possible. If succesful I will raise some in my garden and share with any of you that want any.

Looks like a good link Liz, I'm all for bringing back historic garden plants and helping to prevent then going extinct. If you glance through any of the old books on gardens it is amazing what variety there was and is now lost because the cloning commercial nurseries dictate what we can and can't grow. They only want to grow in massive bulk and ship out the same tiresome garish horrors to garden centres everywhere.