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Conservatory A-E

Conservatory & Stove Plants

With the recent growth of heated conservatories in the UK, many of you are now able to grow exotic stove plants that in the past were the exclusive domain of green fingered tropical enthusiasts.  I have chosen a selection of easy and difficult plants many that I have personally grown over the years, but deliberately excluded items I found impossible, despite the many seed catalogue assurances to the contrary. I hope this brings another dimension to your exotic collection that can be appreciated during the winter months in your conservatory, greenhouse or even in a sunny window.

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Abelmoschus

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Hibiscus Manihot - 10 seeds
A spectacular annual shrub like plant best treated as an annual in the UK. Huge 6” hibiscus like yellow blooms with a maroon central blotch. They do need heat to get going but a 6ft Abelmoschus plant with side shoots covered in these gorgeous blooms is achievable in a single season from seed. Very fast growing in heat, the large, attractive leaves can be used in salads, stir-fries, soups or other dishes.  A single leaf can cover a slice of bread in a sandwich and is used like lettuce.  The leaves are tender when raw but turn slimy if overcooked.  They are very high in nutrition.

Abelmoschus moschatus

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Musk Mallow - 10 seeds
The Musk Mallow can be easily grown in a rich well-drained soil in a sunny position. They will tolerate temperatures down to about -5°c and can be grown outdoors in the milder areas of the country. The plant grows as a shrub in frost-free climates reaching 5 to 6ft. Pretty pink or red flowers 3” to 4” across.

Abelmoschus Moschatus Pacific mixed

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Musk Mallow - 10 seeds
A cultivated dwarf form of Abelmoschus used for unusual bedding in a warm, sunny position. They form neat exotic spreading bushes 12” to 18” of deep green foliage covered with numerous white-centred, orange-scarlet or light pink, Hibiscus-like blooms, each 3 to 4 inches across.

Abutilon hybrids

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Chinese Hat Plant - Mixed Colours 10 seeds
Hybrid Abutilons make lovely conservatory plants. For 2006 we offer a mixed colour range of a new dwarf F1 hybrid suitable for summer bedding and over wintering under glass as a pot plant. Huge 10cm flowers in Apricot, Coral, Pink, Red, Salmon and White. New seed variety with terrific customer feedback but expensive to source.

Adenium obesum mixed

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Desert Rose mixed shades 10 seeds
Adenium are succulents that come from dry arid conditions on the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. They develop large fat trunks even after 2 or 3 months from seed called a caudex, for water storage. They start to flower when quite small only 25cm tall and make excellent house or conservatory plants well adapted to dry atmosphere conditions.

Amorphophallus bulbiferer

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Voodoo Lily 10 seeds
Amorphophallus bulbifer is one of the prettiest of the Voodoo Lilies and the inflorescence doesn’t smell that bad compared to others of the genus. This Voodoo Lily likes shade plus a sheltered location and can be grown in pots outside for the summer. They are quite easy to grow and become dormant in the winter when it should be kept on the dry side. Once the tuber is mature enough, you will see a flower in the spring, otherwise just a leaf. Feed during the growing season

Asparagus Ornamental Ferns

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Florists Fern 15 seeds
Asparagus Plumosas - An attractive fern like climber used by florists in bouquets with carnations etc. Non climbing in it's juvenile stage it makes a  small bushy house plant but eventually turn into a ferny climber, albeit with thorny stems.

Asparagus Sprengeri - This evergreen arching perennial has feathery, needle-like, trailing green foliage giving an open, loose appearance in growth. In summer the plant has small white flowers that are followed by bright red berries. The plant can grow 24 to 36 inches in height and to a width of 3 to 4 ft. It will grow in sun or even fairly dense shade, however, it would prefer some shade to maintain a darker green colour leaf

Asparagus Myersii - Evergreen arching perennial supports cylindrical sprays. The plant can grow to 4ft in height and to a width of 3 to 4 feet. It will grow in sun or even fairly dense shade, however maintaining a darker green colour leaf in shade.

Bauhinia galpinii

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Red Orchid Tree or Pride of De Kaap - 10 seeds
A scandent shrub from South Africa, easy to cultivate and requires little attention once established. The leaves are two-lobed, resembling a butterfly in shape, and 2-3 cm long. It bears a profusion of red flowers about 2-5 cm in diameter. Suitable for cool house but well worth trying outside in milder areas as if it is cut down by frost it can sprout again from the base. It produces its brick red flowers for a long period during the summer months from September to March but will also flower sporadically throughout the rest of the year.  Certain butterfly larvae feed on the leaves which might be useful for breeding tropical butterflies. Seeds germinate easily.

Bauhinia variegata

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Orchid Tree 10 seeds
The Purple Orchid Tree is an exotic tropical tree that blooms over a long period of time. The flower is purple and orchid-like in appearance, though not related to actual orchids. The foliage is light green and deeply notched at the tip. Bauhinia purpurea can reach up to 20 feet tall but smaller if pot grown. Easy to raise from seed.

Bixa orellana

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Annatto or Liptstick Plant 10 seeds
Bixa orellana is a useful and very ornamental single or multi stemmed small tree to 6m, that can be kept smaller in a pot for conservatory or greenhouse use.  The terminal racemes of flowers in red, pink or white appear on the branch tips followed by bright red fruits of soft spiny capsules containing many seeds. Our seed taken from ornamental plants exhibits bright scarlet seed pods on two year old or more plants. A novelty plant as well as an excellent flowering ornamental that can be even used as a replacement for lipstick!!

Native to tropical America, Annatto, obtained from the oily arils of the seeds is the world's second most important (after caramel) natural colorant, yielding yellow to red colours. Not only was the dye used anciently to colour food, but also to dye cloth and paint the skin (which is still done today). The pulp surrounding the seeds is widely used in herbal medicine to treat a number of problems. The seeds are processed to obtain the orange-yellow pigments, bixin and norbixin (caratenoids), as dye for the food, cosmetic and soap industries. Traditionally, the crushed seeds are soaked in water that is allowed to evaporate. A brightly coloured paste is then made. In the 17th century the colour was used to darken chocolate. Worldwide trade in this plant has introduced it as a colouring to rice, meat, stews and stir-fries in many parts of the world, including Asia, and Africa, and is still widely used in South America and the Caribbean.

Bolusanthus speciosus

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Tree Wisteria 10 seeds
The tree wisteria is certainly one of the most spectacular of South Africa’s indigenous trees when in flower, mimicking the splendour of the jacaranda. This decorative, small to medium-sized tree is deciduous, dropping its leaves only for a short period in early spring. Normally multi-stemmed, so ideal for pot growing, the drooping, blue-mauve, fragrant, pea-like flowers hang from the branches in bunches, often covering the whole tree. Flowering time is from spring to early summer.

Brunfelsia floribunda

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Yesterday, today and tomorrow flower 10 seeds
One of my favourite shrubs to grow in the conservatory, greenhouse or a favoured position indoors. The plant gets its name from the flowers that fade to almost white over three days. Dislikes full sun and is relatively pest free. Almost Bonsai in its habit as it ages with woody stems

Cacti Mixed

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Mixed Cacti 15 seeds
Useful mix of cactus for anyone with a panache for spikes embedded in your fingers while potting up! Seriously though the flowers can be wonderful on a well grown cactus, they are easy to look after, and especially tolerant of dry conditions.

Cacti Opuntia Mixed

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Mixed Cacti 15 seeds
Useful mix of Opuntia cactus many of which produce edible fruit.

Caesalpinia pulcherrima

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Pride of Barbados 10 seeds
Spectacular, orange-red, exotic flowers lend a tropical effect to this well-adapted desert shrub. Can reach 6ft. high & wide in frost-free areas. Flowers constantly from spring to autumn. Fast growing, heat and alkaline tolerant. Lightly sand the seeds and soak in water for 6-8 hours, then germinate at 20-26°C.

Caesalpinia pulcherrima Mixed

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Pride of Barbados 10 seeds
A mixed colour packet of these fabulous plants in Red, Orange, Pink and Yellow. Can reach 6ft. high & wide in warm frost-free climates. Flowers constantly from spring to autumn. Fast growing, heat and alkaline tolerant. Lightly sand the seeds and soak in water for 6-8 hours, then germinate at 20-26°C.

Calathea lutea

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Cuban cigar plant 10 seeds
The genus Calathea, native to tropical America, consists of about 100 species largely valued for their decorative foliage. Calathea lutea is one of the taller species and can grow to a height of 2.5 m producing cigar-shaped brown bracts. The paddle-shaped leaves have attractive, reflective silver undersides.

Calliandra haematocephala

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Powder Puff Tree 10 seeds
Spectacular, orange-red, exotic flowers lend a tropical effect to this well-adapted A rambling shrub or small tree with branched pinnate, silky leaves and powder-puff-like balls of conspicuous dark crimson stamens. Fantastic looking shrub that can be grown and flowered in a pot with greenhouse protection.

Cananga Odorata

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Ylang-Ylang Tree 10 seeds
Native to Southern India, Java, Malaysia, the Philippines and other Pacific islands, the Cananga odorata is the true Chanel No.5 Perfume Tree. Its common name is Ylang-Ylang, pronounced (ee-lang ee-lang) and is among the most celebrated flowering trees in the world, made famous by Coco Chanel. The tree flowers at a young age so worth a try as a pot plant in a conservatory. The flowers smell just like Chanel No. 5. The hard seed can be erratic in germination.

Cassia didymobotrya

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Popcorn Cassia 10 seeds
A shrub to 3 metres high but smaller if pot grown. The bright yellow flowers are grouped in upright inflorescences, up to 30 centimetres long, arranged at the end of a long bent stalk. This plant is native of tropical Africa, widely used as an ornamental species in tropical and sub-tropical gardens for the chromatic effect of its flowers.

Cassia fistula

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The Golden Shower Tree 10 seeds
Cassia trees are well known all over the tropics for their showy clusters of laburnum like flowers. This one is probably the best known with large pinnate leaves and scented flowers. A lovely small tree if you have a large conservatory to try growing it in.

Cestrum nocturnum

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Lady of the Night 10 seeds
This plant has one of the strongest fragrances around in the evening, when the scent becomes almost intoxicating. A common misconception is that it is only fragrant at night, however you can still smell a light scent all day long which increases in intensity into the evening. They bloom on and off during the warmer months of the year and grow quickly so regular pruning will be needed to keep it contained.

Clivia miniata

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Kaffir Lily 5 seeds
Excellent house plant with thick dark green leaves contrasting vividly with the large heads of bright salmon red flowers. Easy to raise from seed but it does take a few years to reach flowering size - hence the "yellow" flag.

Cyperus alternifoliius

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Umbrella Grass Pkt
A useful grass like plant for indoor use given plenty of light. Like it's sister the Papyrus it needs plenty of water to do well. Grows to about 2ft and easy from seed. A tough plant that only needs an occasional light trim of dead leaf stalks.

Dendroseris litoralis

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A very rare tree!
Cabbage Tree 3 seeds

This unusual plant comes from a small, isolated group of islands 400 miles off the coast of Chile with temperatures typically 10C to 25C.  At one point there were only 3 plants left in the late 1980s, and today it is still critically endangered.  It is usually only found in botanical gardens, making it one of the rarest plants in cultivation. If you can provide the right conditions, it will be an exciting plant to grow.

It is an evergreen, perennial species in the daisy and sunflower family.  It's unusual in that it has woody, tree-like stems, and rubbery, tennis racket-sized edible leaves (hence the common name) up to 18" long. It grows to about 6ft if pot grown in cool conservatory or greenhouse conditions kept frost free.

Enterolobium cyclocarpus

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Elephants Ear Tree 5 large seeds
The national tree of Costa Rica is a fast growing member of the mimosa family, known for its glamorous feathery foliage.  The common name "Elephant's Ear" derives from the ear shaped seed pods used for decoration. Useful as a fast growing pot plant in a heated conservatory or greenhouse with large fern like leaves it will handle drier conditions than most tropical trees.

Erythrina lysistemon

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Common Coral Tree 10 seeds җ
A lovely, small to medium-sized, deciduous tree with a spreading crown and brilliant red flowers. It is a handsome tree at any time of the year, and its dazzling flowers have made it one of the best known and widely grown South African trees. The flowers are a beautiful clear scarlet and are carried in short, dense heads, about 9 cm long, on long, thick stalks. The flowers produce abundant nectar that attracts many nectar-feeding birds and insects. It is easily cultivated from seed and grows rapidly. It is sensitive to severe cold but may be successfully grown in areas where light frost occurs, provided it is put in a sheltered corner. Flowering is best though where the spring is hot and dry or used in a dry conservatory position.

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Symbol Codes

Germination -- Easy Moderate and Challenging

Backlog for Fresh Seed

Hardiness - To -5°C җ To -10°C җҗ Fully Hardy җҗҗ

Needs Shady Position Sunny Position Water Loving