One of my favourite Autumn plants, the Leucothoe family, is a large one known and admired for its beautiful evergreen foliage. They are frost hardy and prefer moist, peaty, acid soil thriving in semi shade. Lovely white flowers appear in May.
While older varieties can tend to be large plants the newer varieties are much more suitable for the smaller garden and indeed grow very well in pots (use ericaceous compost).
Leucothoe axillaris "Little Flames" is literally like having a small fire in the garden! This plant is highly regarded for its amazing autumn colour and with the cold in winter the red foliage becomes even more intense. Growing to only 50cm, this plant is ideal for the front of a border or in pots. Plant with red cyclamen in a pot for a spectacular colour display.
Leucothoe axillaris "Curly Red" is a very neat and tidy shrub, again growing to only 50cm. This is a densely branched evergreen, featuring leathery, curly red leaves in autumn, turning purple in winter.
Available now from €8.99 at Powerscourt Garden Pavilion
While older varieties can tend to be large plants the newer varieties are much more suitable for the smaller garden and indeed grow very well in pots (use ericaceous compost).
Leucothoe axillaris "Little Flames" is literally like having a small fire in the garden! This plant is highly regarded for its amazing autumn colour and with the cold in winter the red foliage becomes even more intense. Growing to only 50cm, this plant is ideal for the front of a border or in pots. Plant with red cyclamen in a pot for a spectacular colour display.
Leucothoe axillaris "Curly Red" is a very neat and tidy shrub, again growing to only 50cm. This is a densely branched evergreen, featuring leathery, curly red leaves in autumn, turning purple in winter.
Available now from €8.99 at Powerscourt Garden Pavilion 
