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Floral Curiosities: a tour of the unusual
As you wander around the RHS Hampton Court Flower Festival, your eyes will doubtless be drawn to the container displays featuring unusual plants that are dotted around the site. These striking arrangements have been created by award-winning designers Sophie Knittel and Natasha Lloyd.
Each planter features a ‘wonder plant’ – that is, a rare, newly introduced or unusually beautiful cultivar, or off-the-wall planting combination. Expect to see a site-specific mix of sun-loving varieties and shade tolerant cultivars in a range of horticultural styles, from ethereal florals to striking exotica. Discreet labels within the containers give full plant information, so visitors can learn about the wonder plants, and recreate the designs at home.
PLANT LIST
Allium 'Lavender Bubbles'
Achillea 'Moonshine'
Achillea 'White Beauty'
Allium schoesnopranum 'Cha Cha'
Allium sphaerocephalon
Anisodontea 'El Rayo'
Bidens aurea
Bidens aurea 'Hannay's Lemon Drop'
Bunium ferulaceum
Calamagrostis emodensis
Centaurea nigra 'Waterfall White'
Cichorium intybus f. album
Cichorum intybus 'Roseum'
Coniogramme emeiensis
Coreopsis 'Schnittgold'
Coreopsis verticilla 'Zagreb'
Cosmos 'Cherry Chocolate'
Cosmos 'Chocamocha'
Cotinus coggygria 'Golden Spirit'
Dahlia 'Bishop of Leicester'
Dahlia labella grande 'Chocolate Rose'
Dystaenia takesimana
Erigeron kavinskianus
Erigeron kavinskianus 'Lavender Lady'
Hakonechloa macra 'Aurea'
Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra'
Impomea 'Black'
Ipomea 'Lime'
Knautia macedonica
Lavandula stoechas 'Pink Butterfly'
Mahinot grahamii
Monarda 'Raspberyy Wine'
Nepeta govaniana
Nepeta nuda
Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln'
Persicaria bistorta 'Superba'
Petrorhagia illyrica
Rudbeckia occidentalis 'Black Beauty'
Rudbeckia subtomentosa 'Henry Eilers'
Salvia pratensis 'Royal Crimson'
Salvia sclarea var. turkestanica
Samucus nigra 'Black Lace'
Sidalcea 'Rose Queen'
Sium sisarum
Soleirolia soleirolii
Stipa tenuissima
Thalictrum 'Black Stockings'
Trifolium ochrolucon
Trifolium rubens 'Frosty Feathers'
Verbascum blattaria f. albiflorum
Verbena grandiflora Bampton
Xanthosoma violacea
PLANTS OF INTEREST
ALLIUM 'LAVENDER BUBBLES'
Unlike most alliums, this cultivar forms tight clusters of deep lavender coloured pom-poms on short stems, blooming late in the season. The glaucous green-blue foliage twists and curls to add interest. Loved by pollinators, it brings architectural interest and late colour when most other alliums are over
ANISODONTEA 'EL RAYO'
Often mistaken for a small hibiscus, this South African shrub can flower until winter with saucer-shaped pink blooms. Its name means “The Lightning,” reflecting its fast growth and bright colour. Unlike other mallow relatives, it’s compact, responds well to pruning, and can bloom year-round in sheltered UK locations.
BRIGHTON
GARDEN
DARTMOOR
GARDEN
CICHORIUM INTYBUS 'ROSEUM'
This rare pink form of wild chicory is not often seen; most chicories have blue or white flowers, whereas ‘Roseum’ has multi-petalled soft pink blooms. It has the same wiry stems and drought tolerance as the species chicory, but its delicate colouring combines beautifully with ornamental perennials.
COREOPSIS 'SCHNITTGOLD'
This unusual Coreopsis was bred for cut flowers, hence the name “Schnittgold” meaning “cut gold.” Unlike many Coreopsis cultivars, it has strong stems and rich, deep-yellow blooms that last well in a vase. Blending cottage-garden charm with florist-grade performance, ‘Schnittgold’ keeps flowering if you deadhead it regularly.
COTINUS COGGYGRIA 'GOLDEN SPIRIT'
Most Cotinus cultivars are purple, but ‘Golden Spirit glows chartreuse yellow from spring to autumn. The vivid foliage brings luminosity to border planting, while in autumn the leaves turn to vivid orange and red tones. Tough and drought-resistant, it will grow to a height of around 2.4 m and a 2m spread, making it a reliable choice for high-impact foliage.
IMPERATA CYLINDRICA 'RUBRA'
Also known as Japanese Blood Grass, this striking cultivar emerges with green leaves, but as the season progresses, the blade tips turn bright red. By autumn, the whole plant can be glowing scarlet. With a slow-spreading habit to 60cm and upright form reaching a height of 30-45cm, Imperata ‘Rubra’ offers a dramatic addition to the border.
LAVANDULA STOECHAS 'PINK BUTTERFLY'
Known as pink French lavender, this variety is easily identified by the “bunny ears” or flags on top of its flower heads. These tufted bracts flutter in the wind, adding movement and charm. It blooms earlier and longer than English lavenders and has a stronger, slightly medicinal fragrance.
MANIHOT GRAHAMII
This rare cultivar is a close relative of edible tapioca, or Manihot esculenta. Originating from South America, it grows quickly to an eventual height of 2-3m. Although tropical in appearance with unusually lobed palmate leaves, it is hardy to around -5C.
NEPETA GIOVANIANA
Unlike more familiar low-growing catmints, this is a tall, elegant Nepeta with lemony-yellow flowers. It looks more like a wildflower than a border perennial, attracting bees and butterflies with its scent. Found in the Himalayas, it brings an airy, graceful look rarely seen in the mint family.
NEPETA NUDA
This unusual Nepeta species stands tall with dark stems and whorls of soft lavender flowers. Unlike its arching counterparts, Nepeta nuda makes an upright yet compact addition to the border, reaching a height of 1.2m. Despite its delicate appearance it’s tough, has a long flowering season and thrives in dry soil.
PENNISETUM GLAUCUM 'PURPLE BARON'
This striking pearl millet cultivar is a fast growing annual grass that grows to a height of around 1.5m. The dramatic purple bottle brush flowers emerge in the summer against dark foliage, thriving in full sun and well drained soil, followed by purple seedheads which provide an excellent food source for birds.
PETRORHAGIA ILLYRICA
A tiny but tough grass-like plant with clouds of pink stellata flowers above wiry stems. Despite its delicate appearance, this unusual plant thrives in dry, rocky soil. Closely related to Dianthus, its airy habit and grassy foliage make it an elegant filler for gravel gardens, ideal for edging informal borders or spilling out over containers.
RUDBECKIA OCCIDENTALIS 'BLACK BEAUTY'
This rare cultivar has dramatic near-black petals surrounding a dark centre. Offering a moody twist to a cheerful classic, Black Beauty still attracts pollinators but adds a sultry elegance to late-summer border displays. It’s tall, tough, and unforgettable, rather like a goth version of a rudbeckia.
RUDBECKIA SUBTOMENTOSA 'HENRY EILERS'
This cultivar stands out with its quilled, tube-like petals which appear rolled rather than flat, creating a spiky, starburst effect that bees adore. The plant is tall and graceful, with a spicy fragrance. Henry Eilers’ unusual texture, height, and attractiveness to pollinators make it an excellent border performer.
SALVIA SCLAREA VAR. TURKESTANICA
This unusual architectural beauty is a lesser known Salvia, with striking flower spikes of pearly pink-white bracts which have a luminescent quality in sunlight. A biennial rather than a perennial, it is a low maintenance cultivar for sunny locations and can tolerate poor, dry soil.
SILDACEA 'ROSE QUEEN'
Looking like a mini hollyhock, this clump-forming perennial produces spires of shell-pink flowers that bloom along the stem to a height of 1.2m. It’s surprisingly refined for a mallow, with a spread of 45-60cm and a long flowering season. Pollinator-friendly, ‘Rose Queen’ can be combined with perennials such as Nepetas, Phlox or Achilleas to create a cottage garden ambiance.
SIUM SISARUM
Known as skirret, this ancient root vegetable was once prized for its sweet, white roots, which are like a cross between a parsnip and a carrot. This rare plant with delicate white umbel flowers was spread across Europe by the Romans and eaten widely before the introduction of the potato. A heritage plant offering history, beauty and edible interest in one.
TRIFOLIUM OCHROLEUCON
This unusual clover isn’t red or white, but creamy-yellow and also up to 40 cm tall. A native wildflower, it has soft, lemon-coloured flower heads above blue-green foliage. It’s nitrogen-fixing, loved by bees, and thrives in poor soils. Trifolium ocholeurocon is gentle, wild meadow beauty with a twist on the classic clover colour palette.
VERBASCUM BLATTARIA F. ALBIFLORUM
This slender verbascum has elegantly tinged white flowers and delicate foliage, unlike the familiar, more substantial mullein cultivars. Its airy spires and long flowering season make it ideal for naturalistic planting. It self-seeds modestly, forming elegant drifts that flutter in the breeze; think wildflower meadow meets cottage garden charm.
XANTHOSOMA VIOLACEA
This tropical foliage plant has rich purple stems and enormous, almost arrow-shaped leaves. Related to taro, it’s grown for dramatic colour and size. Its velvety texture and architectural form make it a showstopper in large containers or tropical borders.