The Mead Nursery - Plant list S

A-Z of plants

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Key for symbols
new in 2008	grass	shade
liked by bees	likes boggy areas	semi-shade
ready in July	likes troughs	happy anywhere
bulb	sun

Plant list for this page Click on a genus to go straight to that position on the page

sagina	sedum
salix	semiaquilegia
salvia	sempervivum
SANGUISORBA	serratula
santolina	sidalcea
saponaria	silene
saruma	sisyrinchium
sauromatum	x solidaster
saxifraga	stachys
scabiosa	sternbergia
schizostylis	stipa
scilla	stokesia
scutellaria	symphytum

sagina

subulata var. glabrata 'aurea'
A clump of needle thin golden leaves, which form a ground-hugging mat. Covered in tiny starry white flowers in May and June. 3 cm

salix

HASTATA 'WEHRAHNII'
A slow growing, dwarf deciduous willow with dark brown stems and silver white pussy willow buds in late winter and spring. 1 m

LANATA
A grey, felty leaved willow which forms a low deciduous mound, ideal for the larger rockery. 75 cm

SALVIA

BLANCOANA
Grey leaved sage with rather prostrate spikes of light blue flowers, attractive to bees. Prefers well-drained soil. 30 cm

CANDELABRUM
Almost felty grey leaves. Tall stems of spaced out (man!) deep blue-purple flowers in summer. 1 m

CYANESCENS
White, woolly foliage forms a basal rosette, with spikes of blue flowers in summer. I cannot find any cultural advice in any of our reference books but I am sure it would benefit from protection from winter wet. 15 cm

OFFICINALIS ‘PURPURASCENS’
‘Purple sage’. Purple scented foliage with spikes of blue flowers in June and July. 60 cm

X SYLVESTRIS ‘MAYNIGHT’
(syn. S. X SYL.‘MAINACHT’)
Hairy leaves, good show of indigo-violet flowers on thin spikes, with reddish-purple bracts for weeks from midsummer. Hardy. 80 cm

X SYLVESTRIS ‘ROSE QUEEN’
Spikes of dark stemmed pink flowers, for weeks from June. Seems a bit more susceptible to slug damage than S. x sylv. ‘Maynight’ but attractive enough to keep an eye on the young shoots in early spring. 80 cm

ULIGINOSA
A hardy Salvia for damp soils, no wonder we like it! Tall willowy stems of sky blue flowers in late summer. When happy, creeps about a bit. 1.3 m

SANGUISORBA

menziesii
Maroon bottlebrush flowers on slightly willowy stems, for weeks from May. Prefers moist soil. 70 cm

SANTOLINA

CHAMAECYPARISSUS ‘SMALL-NESS’
The spelling of this name intrigues me, is there a little Nessie from Scotland that this was named after? A compact dwarf shrub. Yellow button-head flowers from mid to late summer. 20 cm

Santolina pinnata 'Sulphurea' neapolitana

PINNATA ssp. NEAPOLITANA ‘SULPHUREA’
Forms a small bush of wonderful thin silver leaves. Sulphur yellow button flowers from July. If dead-headed, will continue to flower for weeks. 45 cm

SAPONARIA

OCYMOIDES
‘Tumbling Ted’. Trailing stems covered in simple four-petalled pink flowers in summer. 10 cm

Saruma

HENRYI
Almost felty foliage with a slight bronzy tinge, simple yellow flowers from late spring. A woodland plant for dappled shade. Unusual. 25 cm

SAUROMATUM

VENOSUM (syn. S. GUTTATUM)
Large, fragrant (to a bluebottle…), deepest maroon spathe flowers, with striking blotches up the stems of the single divided leaf. Apparently native to northwest India, central Nepal, and southeast Tibet, so for all you intrepid travellers, this could be a souvenir of your trip… 60 cm

SAXIFRAGA

In addition to those listed below,we have numerous other varieties of saxifrage especially suitable for growing in troughs.

'BLACK BEAUTY'
A green, mossy saxifrage with deep crimson flowers in spring, then sporadically from then on. 12 cm

‘CLARENCE ELLIOTT’
Rosettes of leaves, branching wiry stems of small starry pink flowers in midsummer. 10 cm

‘ESTHER’
Encrusted saxifrage, more spreading than most of the others we grow. Creamy white flowers on a stem; in early spring. 20 cm

'FAIRY'
Green mossy foliage with white flowers from March to May. 10 cm

saxifraga

‘GREGOR MENDEL’
Yellow flowers in late winter, early spring. Cheering early colour for the rockery. 5 cm

JUNIPERIFOLIA
Spiny rosettes form a dense cushion of dark green leaves, covered with bright yellow flowers all over in late winter, early spring. Slow growing. 5 cm

'marianna'
Primrose yellow flowers, over a mound of encrusted looking foliage, in late winter-early spring. Slow growing. 5 cm

saxifraga

‘PENELOPE’
An encrusted saxifrage with peachy-lemon yellow flowers in late winter. Slow growing. 5 cm

‘PINK PEARL’
A mossy saxifrage with a slightly glaucous look to the hairy leaves. Pink flowers in spring. 10 cm

‘RUTH MCCONNELL’
Green mossy foliage with scarlet flowers from March to May. 10 cm

‘SARA SINCLAIR’
Rosy-pink flowers over a dense cushion, in late winter, early spring. Slow growing. 10 cm

saxifraga

‘SILVER CUSHION’
Silver variegation to the mossy foliage. Pale pink flowers from March to April. 10 cm

SOUTHSIDE SEEDLING GROUP
A mat forming plant with showy, arching panicles of white flowers heavily spotted red, in late spring and early summer. Prefers well-drained soil. 25 cm

‘WHITEHILL’
Attractive encrusted rosettes tinged with red on outer edge. White flowers in summer. 15 cm

SCABIOSA

atropurpurea 'chile black'
The flowers are like a very dark maroon pin cushion, covered in pink-headed pins, for most of the summer. Needs a very sheltered position, or take cuttings to over winter. Good in a tub. 60 cm

COLUMBARIA ‘NANA’
A dwarf scabious, ideal for the rockery with blue flowers for weeks, from midsummer. Prefers well-drained soil. 25 cm

COLUMBARIA ssp. OCHROLEUCA ‘MOON DANCE’
Dainty little creamy-yellow scabious flowers, from May until autumn. These have germinated as I write this (in November) so unless we have a mouse ‘sortie’ they should be ready to plant about May. Prefers well-drained soil. 30 cm

‘MIDNIGHT’
This hybrid occurred here on the nursery (as you can tell, if you say its name with an italian accent...). The flowers are dark maroon and on branching stems, for weeks from July. Seems hardy if in a sheltered spot.
1.1 m

RUMELICA see KNAUTIA MACEDONICA

SCHIZOSTYLIS

Its Iris-type leaves belie the fact that it does best in moisture retentive soils and certainly flowers best if planted in full sun. The flowers open on upright spikes during the autumn.

COCCINEA
Spikes of red flowers. 45 cm

COCCINEA ALBA
Strap-like green leaves send up spikes of white flowers from September until the first frosts. 45 cm

COCCINEA ‘WILFRED H. BRYANT’
(syn. S. COCCINEA 'PINK PRINCESS')
Another beauty Duncan Skene of Abraxas Gardens gave us, it has lovely large softest pink flowers from September until the first frosts. 50 cm

COCCINEA ‘SUNRISE’
Larger flowers than S. coccinea and a beautiful sugary pink. 45 cm

SCILLA

All Scillas are harmful if eaten.

MISCHTSCHENKOANA ‘TUBERGENIANA’
Give yourself a few seconds to look at this name, then see if you can remember how to spell it (without looking!)... Difficult, isn’t it! A good early flowering dwarf bulb, of pale blue flowers with darker central stripes. It can start flowering as early as January in a mild winter. Come quickly when we open in February to catch it!
10 cm

PERUVIANA
A wonderfully showy head of blue flowers erupts out of a basal cluster of fleshy green leaves, in June. Seems to clump up easily. 25 cm

SIBERICA ‘SPRING BEAUTY’
It is such a cheering sight in early spring when the gentian blue flower spikes push up through the ground. Ideal for growing under deciduous trees and shrubs.
10 cm

SCUTELLARIA

ORIENTALIS
A mat forming rockery plant with yellow labiate flowers in summer. Needs well-drained soil. 20 cm

SCORDIIFOLIA
This delicate-looking plant grows well in sun or shade, and dry shade at that! Deep blue flowers from July to September. Spreads by underground runners. Disappears underground
for the winter. 15 cm

SEDUM

Sedums are an herbaceous group of plants with succulent looking leaves. They flower in late summer, early autumn and are very attractive to butterflies and bees. The taller varieties look attractive to us even when the flowers have gone over, so help add interest to the garden in winter. We have been told Sedums will tolerate some shade if grown in dry conditions.

‘BERTRAM ANDERSON’
Trailing purple tinged leaves which darken with age. Reddish-pink flowers in late summer, on prostrate stems. 10 cm

CAUTICOLA ‘LIDAKENSE’
Glaucous leaves, with deep pink flowers during late summer and early autumn. Good for the rockery. 15 cm

KAMTSCHATICUM
var. KAMTSCHATICUM ‘VARIEGATUM’
Cream, red and green variegated foliage, tinting pinker in cold weather. Orange buds and yellow flowers in late summer. 10 cm

sedum

‘RUBY GLOW’
Purple-tinged glaucous leaves with deep pink flowers in late summer. Sprawly habit. 20 cm

SPATHULIFOLIUM ‘CAPE BLANCO’
Rosettes of succulent white ‘dusted’ leaves with yellow flowers in midsummer. 7.5 cm

SPECTABILE ‘ICEBERG’
Flat heads of white flowers in autumn. 30 cm

SPURIUM ‘DRAGON’S BLOOD’
(syn. S. SPUR. ‘SCHORBUSER BLUT’)
Crimson succulent foliage with red flowers in mid to late summer. 8 cm

sedum

‘MATRONA’
A pretty pink sedum with pink tinted stems and a gentle scent, in autumn. Copes well in dappled shade. 30 cm

TELEPHIUM ‘MUNSTEAD RED’
Flat heads of red flowers in late summer, early autumn. 30 cm

TELEPHIUM 'PURPLE EMPEROR'
Very dark purple foliage, with heads of red flowers for weeks from July. 50 cm

‘VERA JAMESON’
Trailing stems of purplish-grey leaves, with heads of dusky-pink flowers in late summer and autumn. More compact than S. ‘Ruby Glow’. 15 cm

semiaquilegia

ECALCARATA
Very dainty pinky-mauve columbine-like flowers, in late spring, early summer. Short-lived, so collect some seed or grow in a cool gravel bed and should self-seed. Harmful if eaten. 4 cm

SEMPERVIVUM

A group of evergreen succulent plants. They like full sun and very well-drained soil. Any rosettes that flower die, so they produce new rosettes all around the base for self preservation. Ideal in troughs. 4 cm

SERRATULA

SEOANEI
Here is a plant to deceive your friends with – looks like a marigold until it flowers. In September it is covered in many- branched stems of dainty pink cornflower-type flowers. 15 cm

SIDALCEA

These are a good addition to the garden, providing easy upright spikes of mallow-type flowers from July, which can be a help at a bit of an awkward time, between the two main flushes of herbaceous flowering.

candida 'bianca'
Clump forming perennial with attractive, divided green leaves. Upright spikes of white mallow-type flowers, from early summer. 90 cm

‘PARTY GIRL’
Attractive divided leaves, with upright spikes of carmine rose mallow-type flowers, from July. 1 m

SILENE

UNIFLORA ‘DRUETT’S VARIEGATED’
Variegated foliage; white campion flowers in summer. 10 cm

SISYRINCHIUM

Iris-type leaves, but that is where the similarity ends! They have clusters of flowers, each flower only lasting a day. All like a well-drained, sunny position, and most flower all summer.

ARENARIUM
Creamy yellow flowers in summer. Needs a sunny sheltered spot in well-drained soil. 10 cm

‘BLUE ICE’
Large blue flowers with darker veins from May onwards. Needs a sheltered spot. 15 cm

‘DRAGON’S EYE’
Lavender-mauve flowers with a distinct purple eye, for months in the summer. 12 cm

IDAHOENSE var. MACOUNII ‘ALBUM’
White flowers. 10 cm

‘MARION’
An improvement on our un-named purple Sisyrinchium, with larger showier flowers all summer. 15 cm

PURPLE
Good purple flowers for months in summer, earlier than S. 'Marion'. 12 cm

‘RASPBERRY’
I wouldn’t fancy eating raspberries this colour! More biscuit-coloured like S. biscutella but half the height.
15 cm

X SOLIDASTER

LUTEUS ‘LEMORE’
Gently arching stems of soft yellow flowers in late summer, autumn. 70 cm

STACHYS

CITRINA
Basal mat of felty-grey foliage. Spikes of tiny cream flowers in summer. 10 cm

DISCOLOR (syn. S. NIVEA)
A basal rosette of slightly serrated leaves, with short dense spikes of white flowers from July. Useful plant for late summer colour in the rockery. 10 cm

OFFICINALIS ‘ROSEA’
Slightly indented foliage. Tall, slender flowering stems, with dense spikes of pink flowers during the second half of summer. Likes heavy soil. 60 cm

STERNBERGIA

LUTEA ANGUSTIFOLIA GROUP
Long strap-like leaves, yellow crocus type flowers in late summer, early autumn. Needs a sunny, well-drained position to flower well. 10 cm

STIPA

ARUNDINACEA see anemanthele lessoniana

BARBATA
A fairly upright grass, with long silvery awns on slightly arching stems, from July. Prefers drier soils. 75 cm

GIGANTEA
Forms large grassy clumps with tall oat-like flowers in summer. 2.2 m

pennata
European Feather Grass. Forms tight clumps of blue-grey leaves, with stems of flowers with long silvery awns in summer. Prefers well-drained soil. 45 cm

TENUIFOLIA
The description will not do this attractive grass justice… A small clump of fine, green leaves with a mass of delicate oat-coloured grass flowers, in summer. Self-seeds. 45 cm

stokesia

laevis
Rosettes of mid-green leaves with long-lasting purplish blue scabious-like flowerheads from July to September. 60 cm

SYMPHYTUM

‘GOLDSMITH’
Golden variegated groundcover comfrey, very useful especially to lighten a shady corner. Pinky buds open to creamy white flowers from spring. Tends to send up the odd reversion now and then. Spreading. 20 cm

X UPLANDICUM ‘AXMINSTER GOLD’
Wonderful golden variegated foliage with tall stems of typical slightly wishy-washy comfrey flowers. We cut down the flowering stems pretty soon so the showy clump of leaves at the base can ‘strut their stuff’. These should be ready in May. 1.1 m

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