New this year

We are striving to continually offer you the most exotic botanical finds every year, and this year is no exception. Always on the lookout for interesting plants we manage to find something to appeal to everyone. Popular varieties are continued and not-so favoured are phased out. We have not necessarily grown all these new finds ourselves, but found them interesting nonetheless. They may be easily grown, or could be a challenge. Worth a try in any case.

Below are the listings for new offerings this year. For the complete descriptions, check the corresponding botanical entry found in the listings page of this site.

• Astragalus crassicarpus – Ground plum
Native to the great Plains of North America this is a hardy perennial growing to a height of 15 in. It has 6 in. feathery, pinnate leaves and violet-purple flowers, varying to cream colour, in short racemes. The inch-long round pods resemble green plums and are eaten like snow peas, either raw or cooked.

• Citrus aurantifolia Swingle – Key lime, West Indian Lime
Small, bushy tree, rarely taller than 12 feet with slender branches armed with short spines. Its dense foliage consists of small, pale green, blunt-pointed leaves with narrowly winged petioles (leaf stalks). These are smaller than regular limes and have a distinctive aroma. Seedlings could bear fruit in as few as 5 years.

• Citrus x meyeri – Meyer lemon
Meyer lemon trees are around 6 to 10 ft tall at maturity, though they can be pruned smaller. Their leaves are dark green and shiny. Young leaves and shoots are dark purple. The fragrant flowers are white with a purple base. Meyer lemons are rounder than a true lemon with a slight orange tint when ripe. It has a sweeter, less acidic flavor than the more common lemon and a fragrant edible skin. A tree grown from seed often begins fruiting in four years.

• Sorghum bicolor – Sorghum
This plant from the corn family is grown as an important grain in many parts of the world. The stems of some are used for making syrup or molasses, or can be chewed like sugar cane; the seeds are cooked like rice or popped; others are grown as ornamentals or used for making brooms. Many colours abound. We offer 2 mixtures this year – “Black and White” and “Ornamental Uprights”

If there is something you would like to see offered next year, or want to find something special for your collection, please contact us by email or regular mail and we will either get it for you or point you in the right direction.