April plants
Two very different tulips, a delicate daffodil and a profusion of blossom and early foliage dominate Tom’s selection of plants that are perfect for the April garden
ACER JAPONICUM ‘ACONITIFOLIUM’
A small, charming tree of year-round beauty. In late winter its spreading silhouette is handsome with bright-red young shoots. In summer it’s an excellent foliage plant with deeply lobed and cut leaves that colour deep ruby-crimson in autumn. But it comes into its own in spring when red flowers with tiny yellow anthers are borne in dense clusters among the newly opening leaves. Grow in a sheltered spot, protected from winds, and regularly water new plantings. AGM*.
Height and spread 3.4m x 4m.
Origin Japan.
Conditions Moist, well-drained, acid to neutral soil; full sun to part shade. Hardiness RHS H6, USDA 5a-7b.
Season of interest April – May (flowers); October – November (autumn colour).
EUPHORBIA MELLIFERA
At Gravetye this stately, easy-to-grow euphorbia has been evergreen for the past ten years. Only in the coldest winters will it die back and behave like a herbaceous perennial, although it will always perform better in a sheltered spot. Its slender, waxy leaves with a pale mid vein, give very good effect as a foliage plant. In April to May it flowers and has the most beautiful honey scent, from which its name derives. It is drought tolerant and an extremely useful plant for dry shade. AGM.
Height and spread 1.5-2.5m x 1.5-2.5m. Origin Madeira and the Canary Islands. Conditions Well-drained soil in a sheltered position; full sun or dry shade. Hardiness RHS H3, USDA 8b-9b. Season of interest April – May (flowers), year-round (foliage).
PRUNUS GLANDULOSA ‘ALBA PLENA’
I first encountered this excellent small cherry tree at Great Dixter, where head gardener Fergus grows it as a coppice. In spring its waving shoots produce an abundance of comparatively large, pompom-like, double-white flowers. As soon as these start to fade the entire plant is cut back to a stool, about 15cm from the ground. At this point it is good to feed well with bone meal, and the new shoots quickly grow back with stunning autumn colour before next year’s flower. A tough plant that will grow in most conditions, it is also quite tolerant of drought.
Height and spread 1.5m x 1.5m.
Origin China.
Conditions Moist but well-drained soil; full sun to part shade.
Hardiness RHS H6, USDA 4a-8b. Season of interest April – early June.
TULIPA SAXATILIS ‘LILAC WONDER’
At Gravetye, we have naturalised this excellent perennial tulip among groundcover and shrubs through the wild garden. Stems can bear up to four pinkish-lilac flowers with rich-yellow centres, which work really well through the fresh new growth of Epimedium.
A native of the mountains of Crete and parts of Turkey, it grows best in a sunny, free-draining spot. The bulbs are stoloniferous, enabling it to form good-sized clumps in the right conditions. The broad, glossy leaves come out very early in the spring, making it less dependable in colder areas. AGM.
Height and spread 20cm x 20cm. Origin Crete, parts of Turkey. Conditions Well-drained soil; full sun. Hardiness RHS H6, USDA 3a-8b. Season of interest April – May.
NARCISSUS ‘PIPIT’
A particularly lovely cultivar of Narcissus jonquilla – one of the best scented daffodil species, which has been cultivated in France since the 18th century for the fragrant narcissus absolute oil used by the perfume industry. Each stem bears three to five soft lemon-yellow flowers that fade to white from the base. It flowers later than our native Narcissus pseudonarcissus, taking over the display and filling the air with a beautiful fragrance for almost five weeks. Excellent to establish in meadows but also lovely among deciduous shrubs where its pale yellow looks so good among the fresh green leaves.
Height and spread 40cm x 10cm. Origin Spain and Portugal.
Conditions Moist but well-drained soil; full sun to part shade.
Hardiness RHS H6, USDA 4a-8b. Season of interest March – April.
RHODODENDRON AUGUSTINII SUBSP. CHASMANTHUM
A lovely rhododendron first discovered by the famous plant collector George Forrest in 1904. Its flowers range from white to violet blue, and this is a splendid pale lavender form. Works best as a woodland shrub under light shade in humus-rich soil. Its soft blue flowers stand out especially well in the shade, looking stunning among bluebells and the fresh greens of spring. Will also thrive in full sun and is quite easy to grow provided it has shelter and soil with a pH between 4.5 and 6, but it can be shy to flower in cooler gardens.
Height and spread 2m x 1.5m in ten years. Origin China.
Conditions Moist but well-drained, acidic soil; light shade or full sun.
Hardiness RHS H4, USDA 6a-10b. Season of interest April – May.