Plant of the Month for May 2025

Crinodendron hookerianum has lush waxy red "Lantern" like flowers in late spring. If you pull apart the flowers into its sections you can drink the sweet nectar within each one. The flowers never fully open but after the outer petals are removed, to drink the nectar, you are left with the intricate floral parts which are a work of art. Our plants were very tall and leggy back in 2004 so we went through a phased approach to prune each one down to form the now "Informal Hedge" in the centre of the garden allowing us and the bees to truly marvel at its beauty (and taste!)