Plant Guide

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Categories starting with D

Items starting with D

daphne-odora-alba

Daphne odora 'Alba'

Compact evergreen shrub with deep green foliage and highly fragrant white flowers in late winter. Narrow, leathery leaves to 8 cm long. Waxy flowers in clusters of about 4 cm wide.

Prefers slightly-acid soil and a sheltered, partially shaded position with protection from hot afternoon sun. Copes with shade. The soil must be well-draining to prevent rootrot. You could raise the planting bed to improve drainage if necessary. No pruning required other than a light tip prune once a year.

Choose a position where you can enjoy the exquisite perfume, e.g. near the entrance to your house, next to paths, beneath the bathroom window, or grow in a container and move it when in flower to where you like. Great for woodland gardens.

Daphne odora is susceptible to non-treatable virus diseases that may cause yellowing, mottling and distortion of the leaves, so make sure to start with a healthy plant with deep green foliage. Avoid working the soil around the shrub as much as possible; daphnes don't like their roots disturbed. 

Delphinum (hybrid)

Delphinum (hybrid)

Clump-forming perennial with mid-green, divided foliage. Upright flower spikes in blue, purple, white and pink shades. Dormant in winter. New leaves appear in spring. Cut back the first flower stems after flowering (late spring-early summer) for a second flush of flowers during late summer-autumn. Will require staking in windy areas.

dodonaea-viscosa

Dodonaea viscosa

akeake, hopbush, hopseed, hopwood, soapwood, sticky hopbush

Variable, evergreen shrub or small tree, occurring naturally in coastal and lowland forests throughout the North Island, the northern part of the South Island of New Zealand, and the Chatham Islands. Also found in southern Africa, tropical America, the Pacific Islands, and throughout Australia. Alternate, linear to lanceolate, pale to mid-green, sticky leaves, 4-10 cm long and 1-3 cm wide. Tiny creamy yellow, usually unisexual flowers in spring, with male and female flowers borne mostly on separate trees. In summer, female flowers are followed by conspicuous, 1-2 cm wide, winged seed capsules. These capsules are pale yellow, gradually turning reddish brown, starting from the edges of the wings. Attractive red-brown bark, peeling in stringy flakes. Very tough wood, black with white streaks.

Prefers a sunny or semi-shaded position in well-draining soil. Tends to become leggy when light levels are too low. Tolerates light to moderate frosts (zone 9), coastal conditions, dry soils, and strong winds. Does not tolerate wet soils. Prune regularly and lightly to keep compact. Responds to trimming for hedging purposes.

Versatile, fast-growing plant. Dodonaea viscosa can be grown as a specimen tree by gradually removing the lower branches, showing off the bark and developing an interesting, irregular crown, shaped by the wind in exposed situations. Although predominantly used as a foliage plant, a tree laden with seed capsules is a sight to behold. Excellent choice for a hedge, in particular in coastal areas, and when alternated with other hedging plants. Also makes a good filler or backdrop for lower-growing shrubs with different textures and/or foliage colours. 

dodonaea-viscosa-purpurea

Dodonaea viscosa 'Purpurea'

purple akeake

Purple-bronze cultivar of Dodonaea viscosa, originally discovered in the early 1890s on a riverbank in Marlborough in New Zealand. Grows into a small bushy tree or shrub up to 4 m tall and 2 m wide. Narrow-obovate to narrow-elliptic leaves, 4-10 cm long and 1-3 cm wide. The purple leaf colour intensifies during the colder months. Flowers are arranged in terminal panicles to 4 cm long, purplish red, and mostly bisexual. (The species itself produces dull yellow unisexual flowers, usually on separate plants.) Flowers are followed by much larger, winged, purplish red seed capsules in summer. Red-brown, stringy bark. 

Prefers a sunny or partially shaded position in free-draining soil. Suitable for dry, exposed, and coastal sites. Tolerates light to moderate frosts (zone 9). Intolerant of very wet soils. Soft growth responds well to trimming, but avoid pruning old wood. Lower branches can be removed to create a clear-trunk. Leaf colour is better when planted in poor soil.

Makes an interesting specimen tree with attractive bark, beautiful purple foliage, reddish purple seed capsules and, in particular in very windy areas, an irregularly shaped canopy. Excellent choice for hedging purposes in coastal gardens. Cut stems with foliage and seed capsules add an unusual dimension to floral arrangements.

duranta-erecta-geisha-girl

Duranta erecta 'Geisha Girl'

geisha girl pigeon berry

Fast growing, evergreen shrub with glossy green leaves and cascading branches. Purple-blue flowers with wrinkly white edges, mainly during summer, followed by orange-yellow berries. Poisonous leaves and berries. Attracts birds and butterflies.

Duranta repens is a synonym for Duranta erecta. The species itself is native to Southern USA, Central America, the Carribean, and South America, and has become an environmental weed in several warmer parts of the world. The newer cultivars, such as 'Geisha Girl' are thought to be less invasive.

Prefers a sunny position in any well-draining soil. Water regularly until established. Fertilise in spring with an all-purpose fertiliser. Prune after flowering to keep the plant compact. Tolerates light frost (zones 9-12). Can be trained as a standard, grown as a shrub, or trimmed as a hedge.

What a pity this shrub is so toxic! When flowering, it looks absolutely stunning.