November Plant of the Month

Native to the Andes mountains in South America, Luma apiculata is a striking evergreen shrub with pretty white flowers in late summer and amazing bark on mature specimens – peeling, deep red and white-grey abstract patterning.

I bought this plant over twenty years ago when I knew it as Myrtus luma. It grew in a pot for some time as I thought it wouldn’t survive in a border here in Manchester but, as it started to look unhappy, I planted it into my front garden and gave it a chance. It hasn’t really looked back, although it didn’t like the freezing winter of 2009/10. It’s now about 2.5m tall and I keep it clipped with a rounded head. White flowers appear in good summers and its three trunks are a warm cinnamon orange colour.

This autumn I saw several beautiful mature specimens at Abbotsbury Subtropical gardens in Dorset. Luma apiculata usually grows best in southern areas of the UK; particularly Devon and Cornwall.

Posts from the blog:

Adding annuals

A selection of recommended annuals.

The bees are a’ buzzing!

The garden is alive with bees as they gather pollen from a whole host of flowers.

Unfurling ferns

Take the opportunity to get close up to your ferns and admire the fascinating structures that exist within this family of ancient plants.

Plant sleuth

This mystery plant had leaves that were still lush in October but with no sign of any flowers to give me a lead.