African plants growing in Ireland
Over THE last week I wouldn’t have associated our weather conditions conducive to growing plants from Africa. But never more than at this time of year plants from Africa, particularly plants from The Cape peninsula and Southern Africa, poliferate in our Irish gardens. Many of these herbaceous plants we take for granted as easily grown late flowering colour that ease us into the rusty shades of autumn. Most also make excellant coastal plants with tough grassy foliage.
You could be mistaken in thinking that some are native by their apparent comfort at growing in our extremely mild temperate zone temperatures. The Cape lies on the cusp of the sub tropical and temperate zones of the southern hemisphere so maybe we shouldn’t be so surprised that so many of these plants become happy expats and adapt to Ireland’s conditions in spite of our additional rainfall.
Crocosmia or the more commonly called mon- bretia is a native African plant that has escaped from gardens to become naturalised in Ireland. An orange glow in many a roadside verge at this time of year can warm the very soul. Along with the success of Fuchsia magellanica, native to the southern cone of South America, you would be forgiven thinking these plants were natives, so prolific have they become. My two favourite Crocosmia are the yellow flowered C. ‘Solfaterre’ and the red flowered C. ‘Lucifer’.
Another African success story is the marvellous genus Agapanthus, the African Lily or Lily of the Nile. Like Crocosmia they are almost indestructable in Irish gardens and these blue/purple and white flowering architectural gems have become rightly popular. There has been an explosion in new varieties from plant breeders in recent years, too many to keep up with and the evergreen nature of the foliage can be ambiguous. A plant bred in Australia may be evergreen there but not here, likewise a plant overwintered under cover here may remain in leaf but not when overwintered outside. Agapanthus ‘Black Pantha’ is evergreen in my garden and with its very dark purple buds one of my favourites. A. ‘Double Diamond’ is a dwarf white variety with additional petals to give a frilly effect. A. ‘Bluestorm and A. ‘Snowstorm’ both claim to carry 100 flowers over 10 weeks once established but I have yet to see that level of performance in Ireland. Agapanthus have become naturalised in New Zealand to a point of being a threat to native species.
Other well known Irish African favourites include Kniphofias (red hot pokers) Dierama (Angels’ fishing rods) Zantedeschia (Arum or Calla lily)and Nerine bowdenii all are mainstays of many gardens. Lesser known plants like Phygelius (Cape Fuchsia) which flower in reds, pinks and whites over an extended period when deadheaded. The wonderful Hesperantha coccinea, fromerly known as Schizostylis, is one of the finest autumn flowering plants that will actually flower well into winter once it has established in a large clump. Reds, pinks and whites again.
Most of these plants have been grown in Irish gardens for a century or more and have always been popular and firm favourites with gardeners. In more recent times some older forgotten African plants have found favour again with the trend setters. Melianthus major(Honey flower) is a lovely if somewhat unruly foliage plant from South Africa that has a exotic tropical appearance to it. It has become naturalised in India, Australia and New Zealand. Eucomis bicolor (Pineapple Lily) has become super cool and trendy of late but is slightly out of place for my liking in general planting but looks great in a pot. It flower looks like a pineapple hence the name.
All these plants are reasonably hardy and all like the sun. If general temperatures continue to increase over the next few years we may soon be able to try to grow iconic African plants like Protea and Strelitzia (Bird of Paradise) as well.