5 PLANTS FOR TOUGH SPOTS

When plantlife needs to survive and thrive with minimal maintenance, these tough customers are landscape designer Adam Robinson’s picks

SILVER TORCH CACTUS This tough cactus has a rigid vertical form but is covered with short white spines that catch the light and give it a soft, furry look, making it feel comfortable to sit near, unlike other spiky plants. SANSEVIERIA ‘SILVER SWORD’

This variety of the tough mother-in-law’s tongue has a lower, broader leaf than the original, with a wash of grey that’s a great match with contemporary architecture.

FRANGIPANI Frangipani are reliable in pots, growing slowly so they don’t demand continual pruning. They store water in their trunk and branches, so they can survive periods of neglect – and then there’s the tree-like form and the gorgeous, fragrant summer flowers.

ALOE ARBORESCENS

This tall-growing aloe flowers beautifully in winter, has a wonderful form

and is extremely tough. CARISSA GRANDIFLORA

‘DESERT STAR’ This variety of the Natal plum fills the same kind of role as buxus, but with a looser, more relaxed appearance. It can form a dense glossy mound to a metre tall and wide, with bursts of beautiful white star-shaped flowers.