I'm not a fan of hebes. In a garden situation we find that they get very scruffy very quickly. Great for the growers I suppose...
I don't know that one. I do like ferns, though my mother slaughters the black fern that spores around here at every opportunity.
Forgot that one in my list. We do grow Arthropodium, though it does poorly at this end of the country (too cold).
Rengarenga and Hellebores handle dry (evergreen) shade much better than bluebells IME. They tend to prefer deciduous woodland and more moisture.
Not strong on variegated plants. They too often tend to look like they've been sprayed with Roundup in my view. :-)
Weed that self-seeds. A few get left in shady woodland corners.
AKA Kowhai (on my list). Several varieties with very different leaves. Look out for Sophora tetraptera, a large leafed form with bronze-yellow new growth.
We've the Japanese one too, though it has never flowered. :-(
Kowhai self-seeds too, so watch out! ;-)
AKA "Kakas beak". The white is very nice too (greenish as the flowers emerge). Borderline here due to frost.
Masses of 'Silver Spear' around that I would not do without.
However the golden alder and acer dissectum don't hurt it either. No fall colour from NZ natives, and who would want to be without that?
Forgot that on my list too. Libertia ixoides we do grow, though its certainly not 'showy' and looks very scruffy when past flowering.
C. forsterii is wonderful, the others we find very hard to grow well.
Many of the alpines are nice, but you need to be 10,000 feet up the side of a mountain in perpetual mist to grow them well.
Generally flowers are white (very occasionally yellow), small and often just plain inconspicuous. Shrubs and trees are (generally) what I'd politely describe as scrubby looking. No form, untidy habit.
Some people may like the look. I do not.
YMMV.
- I came here looking for people interested in plants and gardens, not to be harangued by eco-warriors. Should I stick around?
Rob.