Melianthus major Purple Leaved

This is a truly architectural plant that is half hardy in the UK, but don’t let that put you off. Originating in the parts of South Africa that usually have winter rainfall, it is evergreen in the wild but here in the UK it is hardy in sheltered and coastal areas in all but the harshest winters and probably in need of some protection in more exposed areas.

In the wild it can look straggly and rather forlorn, but if cut down in the spring, either by us or the cold, a fresh and vigorous new batch of leaves grow, keeping it looking compact and exotic. Treated in this way it rarely grows taller than 100cm and gives a dramatic lift to any garden. The foliage is glaucous blue but the midrib is purple and this tone spreads outwards. The pinnate leaflets are deeply folded with toothed edges and the stems have a purple tint too. It looks extraordinary paired with deep purple plants like Salvia ‘Amistad’ for instance.

After a hot summer, (making it ideal for climate change), you may well get spikes of maroon flowers with a sweet scent, explaining its common name of ‘Honey Bush’. The leaves apparently smell of peanut butter when crushed, but I find it smells more like Marmite.

Give it full sun to part-shade on moist but well-drained soil of any pH, but avoid cold winds and frost pockets. The colour of the foliage is better when it’s grown in full sun. A dry mulch around, but not touching the plant, in autumn will help to stop it getting too wet, but if you are unsure grow, it in a large pot and carefully move it under cover before the first frosts.

Height x Spread 120cm x 200cm