From May until early July, this stunning dwarf form of the alternative to the taller irises, produces disproportionately wide and large, electric blue flowers which each have a white, inner halo and purplish veins. Flowers are held on sturdy stems above solid clumps of narrow, green sword-like leaves. Very cold tolerant, this short, grassy leaved Iris species, native to Siberia and Alaska, is a perfect choice for edging, or in the sunny rock garden. It is also effective when mass planted as groundcover, when it will grow in sun or semi-shade, preferably in a moisture retentive position. ... Learn More

Iris setosa dwarf, this lovely iris has large, reflexed, blue-purple flowers, white-blotched at the centre, and all attractively pencilled in deeper purple, with small standards. It does best with ample moisture, but must have adequate sun to flower well. These plants are native to the coastal states of north-east USA and Canada, where they grow in damp places. ... Learn More

This graceful, spring-flowering iris has blooms in various shades of blue-purple with white veining on the falls. They are easy to grow, enjoying a sunny or partially shaded spot in moist but well-drained, acid to neutral soil. ... Learn More

This graceful, spring-flowering iris has blooms in various shades of blue-purple with white veining on the falls. They are easy to grow, enjoying a sunny or partially shaded spot in moist. We have selected every available shade from palest blue to almost black, all attractively marked. ... Learn More

Bearing deep violet-blue flowers with narrow, deeply marked, blue and white falls and violet veins, this dwarf plant deserves to be more widely grown. From Southern Italy, the Balkan peninsula and Turkey, this plant is almost impossible to spot in the grass after flowering as the leaves are totally grass-like. This species, which is pollinated by ants, is closely related to Iris graminea. ... Learn More

Fragrant spring blooming flowers, open their blooms which are between yellow and purple, with white or yellow beards. Living on the stony hillsides of the Eastern Mediterranean, notably in North West Turkey, this rare and diminutive gem possesses a disproportionately large flower which rises out of an unruly tangle of small blue-green or greyish green curved leaves. ... Learn More

A 15" tall species of the crested iris group featuring large, 6" across, beardless, bright lilac-purple flowers with falls which are crested white. Foliage is arranged in fans of narrow, lance-shaped, ribbed, glossy, upright leaves that can become somewhat floppy. Can spread rapidly in the garden. Commonly called roof iris because it has in the past been grown on thatched roofs in both Japan and China. ... Learn More

This rare white form of the normally blue variety has large yellow-throated, crested flowers which open at the end of arching stems of pale green, and which will form large clumps in a short time. It is a wonderful iris for any dry area with some shade. ... Learn More

Similar in form to Iris magnifica, this choice plant has superb, large flowers of deep violet-blue to cobalt, with a spotted and striped white or violet crest. Lush broad leaves with generally 2 or 3 compact flowers per stem produce a striking specimen, and although very rare it is easy to produces a healthy plant in cultivation. ... Learn More

Sweetly fragrant, lavender-blue flowers with a curved trumpet shape and a white inner throat that shows only slightly at the base of the upper petals, are formed in abundance in terminal panicles in the late spring and summer. This sub-tropical tree, native to South America, has been widely planted elsewhere because of its beautiful and long-lasting flowers. ... Learn More

Jeffersonia has showy white flowers with eight petals, the delicate flowers resembling "Bloodroot" and appearing in April or May before producing fruit which is a green pear-shaped capsule with a hinged top. Native to eastern Asia and eastern North America these uncommon spring flowers were named for United States President Thomas Jefferson. It is protected by state laws as a threatened or endangered plant in Georgia, Iowa, New York, and New Jersey. The characteristic leaves are large and nearly divided in half, giving rise to its common name, twinleaf. As with many other deciduous forest ... Learn More

The gorgeous dark red flowers only open at night and are pollinated by bats and hawk-moths, a feature which is unusual for a bat-pollinated species (bats are normally attracted to white flowers), and finally large sausage-shaped fruits hang from the branches. The sausage tree is found across sub-Saharan tropical Africa and as far south as South Africa and is used as an ornamental tree in Australia, the USA and parts of Southeast Asia. The generic name Kigelia comes from the Mozambican name for sausage tree, "kigeli-keia". These trees are sacred to many communities and are often protected when ... Learn More

This splendid perennial plant from the Lower Danube, is related to hollyhocks and can flower the first year from seed if sown early. It can grow up to 8ft high with unusual, vine-like leaves and large, showy, cup-shaped, white or pale rose-pink flowers from July to September. ... Learn More

Masses of white and mauve pea flowers over hairy grey creeping foliage. Superb over rocks in hot spot. Very long-lived and hardy. ... Learn More

This very long-blooming, vigorous and early pea produces a scrambling dome of small white flowers, that will soon cover a small shrub or climbing frame, over a very long period. The seeds of this unusual pea are rumoured to have been found in the tomb of King Tutankhamun. ... Learn More