Welcome to Gardening in South Africa!

Taxus baccata Standishii - Ggolden upright taxus. Picture courtesy Karl Gercens. Visit his flickr photostreamDescription, History & Interesting Facts:

Taxus is a genus of small coniferous trees or shrubs in the yew family Taxaceae. They are relatively slow-growing and can be very long-lived. All of the yews are very closely related to each other, and some botanists treat them all as subspecies or varieties of just one widespread species; Taxus baccata, which was the first yew described scientifically.

Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia. Over 400 cultivars have been named, the vast majority of these being derived from Taxus baccata (European Yew) or Taxus cuspidata (Japanese Yew).

The common yew has the longest lifespan of any tree in Europe and, along with the Bristlecone Pine, is one of the longest-lived in the entire world. The genus Taxus dates back 140 million years, while the species baccata is 15 million years old. One of the most ancient Yews is an ancient Taxus baccata in the churchyard of the village of Fortingall in Perthshire, Scotland.  Various estimates have put its age at between 2,000 and 5,000 years; but recent research into yew tree ages suggests that it is likely to be nearer the lower limit of 2,000 years.

Very old specimens can reach heights of 10 to 20 metres or more; with a trunk up to 2 to 4 metres in diameter. Dating older trees is difficult, because as they decay they are prone to hollowing out, creating a cavern up to 3m across, making it impossible to count rings. This hollowing is part of the aging process and cavities should never be filled in to save the tree. A dying Yew can generate a secondary trunk by sending down tendrils from the branches, as well as from the centre of the hollow trunk. These tendrils root themselves into the ground and create a new layer over the already deeply fissured and fluted trunk; literally encasing the tree with new wood. The wood is hard and durable, and these empty shells of old trees actually have greater tensile strength than a younger tree with a solid trunk. This amazing ability to regenerate and create an entirely new tree as the old one decays, is what makes ancient Yews appear to be a circular grove of many smaller trees.

Despite its deadly toxicity, the European Yew was used cross-culturally as a potent folk medicine for thousands of years. It was also one of the most important trees in the history of European warfare, as its wood was used exclusively for the making of the longbow, the principle weapon employed in Europe for about 500 years. This practice led to their near extermination in England and Europe, with those who were spared the axe surviving mainly in monasteries, abbeys and church graveyards. See great pictures of ancient Yew trees at Monumental Trees.

Because of its slow growth the common yew is generally sold as a small to medium-sized evergreen tree. Its bark is brown and scaly, coming off in small flakes; and the dark green leaves are arranged spirally on the stem, but with the leaf bases twisted to align the leaves in two flat rows on either side of the stem. The spring flowers are insignificant and unlike most other conifers; in place of cones, they bear a unique single seed surrounded by a fleshy covering called an aril. These small, red berry-like fruits covering the seeds appear only on female trees, and are the only nontoxic part of the Yew. All other tree parts are highly poisonous to humans and most animals, due to alkaloids called taxoids.

In the Garden:

Yews are widely used in landscaping; and due to their dense foliage and their tolerance of pruning, they are extremely popular for formal hedges, topiary and mazes. For a new Yew hedge, space the plants about 45 to 60cm apart. Because of their relatively slow growth rate, they will only need clipping once a year in late summer. Young plants are bushy and, if left unclipped, will eventually grow into large trees almost as wide as they are tall. The plants withstand even severe pruning and if overgrown, can be rejuvenated by cutting them back right to the stumps. The Royal Horticultural Society has given this British native their Award of Garden Merit.

Cultivation/Propagation:

The only essential prerequisite for successfully growing Yew is good drainage because they cannot tolerate waterlogged soil, wherein it is liable to succumb to the root-rotting pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi.

They favour chalky soil but tolerate growing in a wide range of soils as long as they are well-drained; adapting to Acid, Alkaline or Neutral soils; Chalk, Clay, Sand or Loam.

They thrive in full sun but will grow in semi-shade and even complete shade, although in deep shade growth is less dense. 

Yew is extremely hardy to cold and frost; and tolerates wind but not maritime exposure. Although it is drought tolerant it grows well in regions with good summer rainfall and responds well to regular watering during dry spells.  It is also tolerant of atmospheric pollution.

Feed in spring with a balanced organic fertiliser and mulch the roots with compost.

Propagate from semi-hardwood cuttings taken in late summer and early autumn, or by seed.

Problems, Pests & Diseases:

Yews suffer from few pests and diseases, the most common problems are caused by poor drainage. The roots of Yews planted in boggy conditions are often invaded by the Phytophthora fungus causing the plants to change from dark green to a sickly yellow-bronze colour. If swift action is taken to improve drainage the plants can often be saved.

Scale insects are occasionally seen on the foliage, but these are in no way life threatening, a spray with soapy water is usually enough to send them packing.

Caution:

Yew trees contain the highly poisonous taxane alkaloids that have been developed as anti-cancer drugs. The seeds, leaves and bark are highly poisonous and can cause fatal poisoning of humans and livestock. Eating just a few leaves can make a small child severely ill and fatalities have occurred. All parts of the tree are poisonous, with the exception of the bright red arils. The arils are harmless, fleshy, cup-like structures, partially enveloping the seeds, which are eaten by birds (which disperse the seeds); however, the black seeds inside them should not be eaten as they also contain poisonous alkaloids.

See under Trees

Begonia Rex HybridCondensed Version:

Begonia Rex Cultivars are prized for their dramatically patterned and intriguingly shaped leaves, and they are just as at home in a shady, humid garden as they are growing as an indoor pot plant.

Indoors, it requires good humidity, even watering, and bright filtered light, and even performs well under fluorescent lights. High humidity (more than 50 percent) is crucial to keeping your indoor begonia rex happy, and if humidity is too low the leaf tips will turn brown and dry. In humid regions this is not a problem, however, in the drier regions of South Africa, to create a humid climate around your begonia rex, it is best to place the pot in a large drip tray filled with water and pebbles. The pebbles will ensure that the pot stands above the water, while allowing evaporation to take place, and thereby increasing humidity. Often mist spraying the leaves of tropical houseplants is recommended to increase humidity, but in the case of begonia rex spraying the leaves can lead to spotting, and is therefore not recommended. 

Like many indoor pot plants begonia rex likes to be a little bit pot bound, but if it is growing vigorously, repotting each spring into a pot one size larger than the one it is currently growing in will ensure that it has plenty of soil to develop in. If you are re-potting, a peat-based potting mix is ideal for begonia rex. Large or gangly plants can be pruned lightly into shape, and rotating the pots regularly will ensure that the plant grows more symmetrically.

If you are growing begonia rex outdoors, if you can provide them with bright indirect light, humid conditions, and rich, aerated soil like that found on a forest floor, you are sure to be successful, and these tender, evergreen perennials will flourish and spread from their creeping rootstock.  They are sensitive to big fluctuations in temperature, and do not tolerate temperatures below about 13°C.

Too much water and fertiliser is the kiss of death for begonia rex, and soggy soil and prolonged wet leaves and stems can lead to rot. Plants should be watered when the soil in outdoor beds or pots feels dry, but don’t wait until the plant starts to wilt before watering, however, it is always better to keep them a little too dry, rather than too wet. During the winter months, watering must be reduced.  Begonia rex is not a heavy feeder and you can fertilise as little as once or twice a year, with a liquid pot plant fertiliser, mixed at half strength. Don’t feed at all during the winter months.

Begonia 'Silver Queen'Full Version:

Description, History & Interesting Facts:

Begonia Rex Cultivars are prized for their dramatically patterned and intriguingly shaped leaves, and they are just as at home in a shady, humid garden as they are growing as an indoor pot plant. Gardeners of all generations just cannot resist their unusually textured leaves, and today there are countless gorgeous varieties to choose from.

Begonia rex is a tropical plant which originated in the forests of northern India, and it is an interesting story how this begonia arrived in England. It is recorded that in 1856, when orchids were being shipped from India to England, amongst the orchids they found a strange little plant with interestingly patterned leaves - a Rex begonia.  Later on, different varieties of the plant were found in the Andes Mountains, and Richard Pierce, who documented most of them , noted their unusual colours like yellow, red and orange.

These small plants excited botanist’s who continued to grow them, and today their allure continues, and breeders have ensured that there are hundreds of hybrids, which are often given fancy trade names, and as a result, you might find the same plant with two different names in different garden centres.  One interesting and beautiful begonia that's often included with the rex begonias is Begonia masoniana commonly called “Iron Cross Begonia.” This beautiful plant was introduced into cultivation in 1952 and has beautifully puckered leaves with a dark cross in the middle, and is available in black and various other colours. 

Despite its exotic looks, the rex begonia is begonia actually easy to grow, and once you have one, you will want to collect all the varieties you can find, and there is a fascinating selection to choose from, with variegations in shades of green, red, pink, purple, silver, and brown. The small flowers are small and incidental, and it’s usually recommended that you cut the flower stalks out to allow the plant's energy to go into growing new leaves, rather than flowers.

Begonia 'Emerald Princess'In the Garden & Home:

Begonia rex, with its colourful foliage is one of the most interesting indoor plants around. Dress it up by growing it in a container that complements the colours of its leaves, and depending on the variety, that may mean purple, pink, red, silver, or black.

Because it's a relatively short houseplant, it is perfect to place on work desks, or as a decoration for dinner table settings, and its variegated foliage makes it a perfect contrast plant when viewed against other houseplants. To really play up the unique qualities of begonia rex, pair them with solid green plants with different textures or forms. It also grows easily in large terrariums.

In the warm, frost free regions of South Africa, this begonia looks great outdoors in shady parts of the garden, but the most popular way to display rex begonias outdoors is to collect and group them together, each in its own pot.

Begonia rex has many good bedfellows in the garden, like: Blue Wishbone Flower (Torenia), Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia), Boston ferns, especially the golden one, Leatherleaf Fern (Rumohra adiantiformis) New Guinea Impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri), Coleus (Solenostemon), Wandering Jew (Tradescantia zebrina), Creeping Velvet Grass (Holcus mollis 'Albovariegatus'), Coral Bells (Heuchera), Fuchsias,  Creeping Mazus (Mazus reptans),  Sedges (Carex), Spurflowers (Plectranthus), Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum), and Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes).

Begonia rex can be temperamental indoors, until you find the right place for it, and you just have to move it around until you find the right conditions and balance for your plant. Indoors, it requires good humidity and even watering.  It can take less light than other begonias, but still requires bright filtered light indoors, and even performs well under fluorescent lights. The only way to know what your plant wants is to watch it as it adjusts to its new surroundings. If it's flourishing, continue with what you are doing, but if it becomes droopy, it probably needs more frequent watering, and if growth becomes lanky, move it into a brighter position. Eventually, you'll figure out the right balance. 

High humidity (more than 50 percent) is crucial to keeping your indoor begonia rex happy, and if humidity is too low the leaf tips will turn brown and dry.  In humid regions this is not a problem, however, in the drier regions of South Africa, to create a humid climate around your begonia rex, it is best to place the pot in a large drip tray filled with water and pebbles. The pebbles will ensure that the pot stands above the water, while allowing evaporation to take place, and thereby increasing humidity. Clustering several pot plants together will also help to increase humidity. Often mist spraying the leaves of tropical houseplants is recommended to increase humidity, but in the case of begonia rex spraying the leaves can lead to spotting, and is therefore not recommended. 

Like many indoor pot plants begonia rex likes to be a little bit pot bound, but if it is growing vigorously, repotting each spring into a pot one size larger than the one it is currently growing in will ensure that it has plenty of soil to develop in. If you are re-potting, a peat-based potting mix is ideal for begonia rex. Large or gangly plants can be pruned lightly into shape, and rotating the pots regularly will ensure that the plant grows more symmetrically

If you are growing begonia rex outdoors, if you can provide them with bright indirect light, humid conditions, and rich, aerated soil like that found on a forest floor, you are sure to be successful, and these tender, evergreen perennials will flourish and spread from their creeping rootstock.  They are sensitive to big fluctuations in temperature, and do not tolerate temperatures below about 13°C.

Too much water and fertiliser is the kiss of death for begonia rex, and soggy soil and prolonged wet leaves and stems can lead to rot. If you keep these points in mind when caring for your plants, it will be smooth sailing.

Plants should be watered when the soil in outdoor beds or pots feels dry, but don’t wait until the plant starts to wilt before watering, however, it is always better to keep them a little too dry, rather than too wet. During the winter months, watering must be reduced.  Begonia rex is not a heavy feeder and you can fertilise as little as once or twice a year, with a liquid pot plant fertiliser, mixed at half strength. Don’t feed at all during the winter months.

The other key to success with rex begonias is tap-water quality. That’s because “hard” water with high mineral salt content causes leaf edge burn because they have no mechanism to deal with salt loads. When given salty water, they pump it to the leaf edges, where it evaporates, leaving these same salts at the pores. The accumulation burns the leaf edges brown and dead.” If you live in an area with hard tap water, switching to distilled water or rainwater will fix this.

Large clumps can be divided in spring, ensuring that each portion of the rhizome bears one or more growing points.

Problems, Pests & Diseases:

Bacterial leaf spot, mildew, and botrytis can occur if the leaves stay wet for long periods, and root rot can be a problem in wet areas. To avoid these issues, be sure your begonias are in well-drained soil and water them sparingly.

If mealybugs, aphids, and caterpillars become a problem, an insecticidal spray will take care of the issue. Handle slugs and snails by placing slug bait near your plants.

Warning:

Begonia rex is toxic to dogs, cats, and horses because it contains soluble calcium oxalates. Clinical signs include: kidney failure (in grazing animals) and vomiting and salivation in dogs and cats. The most toxic part is underground. If you suspect your pet may have ingested a potentially toxic substance, call your local veterinarian as soon as possible. It goes without saying that small children should always be supervised when around houseplants, and in the garden.

Cordyline 'Kiwi'There are many varieties of cordylines and they are grown for their beautiful leaves in shades of green, pink, red and even black. They are found in Australasia and the Pacific region, with one in tropical America.

Place them in a warm, not hot position indoors with good light indoors, but no direct sun. Water them moderately in summer, less in winter. Feed them every two weeks in summer and mist spray the leaves regularly with tepid water. Plant them in good, well drained soil.

Aglaonema 'Silver Queen'Condensed Version:

These leafy tropical plants are easy to care for indoors, and in frost-free regions can be grown in the garden. Some varieties have solid green leaves, but most cultivars have interesting variegation in shades of silver, grey, or light green. They range in size from compact 20 to 25cm tall plants to larger varieties that will grow 45 to 60cm tall.

They are renowned as low-light plants, and remain popular potted plants for windowless offices where they grow happily in artificial light, and because they also love high humidity are highly recommended for bathrooms.

Chinese evergreens will grow in most indoor spaces where there is moderate light. However, they are sensitive to cold conditions and struggle if placed in a room where the temperatures drop below 15°C. Although they do not like to be overwatered and are tolerant of low water conditions, you should never allow them to be dry for long periods of time. Ideally, the soil should be allowed to dry out to about 25 to 30% of the way down the pot before you give your plant a deep watering. In the home it is very beneficial to ‘mist’ your plant occasionally with water to bring up the humidity level.

Chinese evergreens love to grow in well-drained soil but it must still be able to hold some water, enough to stay lightly moist. However, excess water should be able to drain off quickly, or there could be a risk of root rot damage. Lightly-acidic soil with a pH range from 5.6 to 6.5 is ideal, so a peat-based potting soil with extra perlite is recommended. You can also consider blending in a bark-based orchid mix.

Chinese evergreens require some nitrogen for foliage development, but it is easy to over fertilise them because many houseplant fertilisers tend to carry a lot of salt deposits which can build up in the soil. If you use a conventional pot plant feeder, mix it at half the recommended dosage, or consider using Nitrosol which is an excellent feeder to use on almost all foliage plants.

In tropical, sub-tropical and frost-free regions the Chinese evergreen looks beautiful growing in clumps in the shade of trees. Choose a warm sheltered spot in the garden that receives bright, indirect sun and has well drained, slightly acidic soil.

Aglaonema 'Maria'Full Version:

Description, History & Interesting Facts:

These leafy tropical plants with their attractive variegated foliage are easy to care for indoors, and in frost-free regions can be grown in the garden. Chinese evergreens (Aglaonema) are native to the warm, moist, forested, tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and New Guinea. They have been grown as luck-bringing plants for centuries by Asians, and were brought to the lauded Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London by plant explorers in the late 1800’s. 

Whether you believe they bring luck or not, they are certainly worthwhile growing for their lush, tropical foliage.  Some varieties have solid green leaves, but most cultivars have interesting variegation in shades of silver, grey, or light green. They range in size from compact 20 to 25cm tall plants to larger varieties that will grow 45 to 60cm tall.

In their natural environment, they flourish beneath the shade of tropical trees, where they get very little direct sunlight, and for this reason they are renowned as low-light plants, and thrive indoors as long as there’s some light. For this reason they remain popular potted plants for windowless offices where they grow happily in artificial light, and because they also love high humidity are highly recommended for bathrooms.

Aglaonemas also grow together in the same pot with other indoor plants which have the same growing requirements. For example, to spruce up a ficus, try adding a few aglaonemas to the base of the tree, or combine them with red bromeliads around a Kentia palm.

Because of the plant’s natural ability to remove benzene and formaldehyde from air sources, NASA has placed the green-leaved Aglaonema modestum variety on its list of top ten plants to clean the air indoors, and for this reason, aglaonema may one day be grown in space!

Cultivation:

Indoors:

Chinese evergreens will grow in most indoor spaces where there is moderate light. However, they are sensitive to cold conditions and struggle if placed in a room where the temperatures drop below 15°C.

Although they do not like to be overwatered and are tolerant of low water conditions, you should never allow them to be dry for long periods of time. Ideally, the soil should be allowed to dry out to about 25 to 30% of the way down the pot before you give your plant a deep watering. If you find watering your potted plants a bit of a guessing game, it would be well worth investing in a moisture meter from you garden centre, as most potted plants are killed by incorrect watering.

In their natural environment humidity is high enough to allow the plants to absorb some moisture from the air, and in the home it is very beneficial to ‘mist’ your plant occasionally with water to bring up the humidity level. Placing the pot on top of a tray filled with small pebbles is also a great way to increase humidity, but always ensure that the pot stands above the water level to prevent root rot.

These plants do not like to be placed directly underneath an air conditioning vent or where there is a draft.  Also, in winter, do not place them close to a heater or fireplace, which will cause the soil to dry out too rapidly.

Chinese evergreens love to grow in well-drained soil but it must still be able to hold some water, enough to stay lightly moist. However, excess water should be able to drain off quickly, or there could be a risk of root rot damage.

Lightly-acidic soil with a pH range from 5.6 to 6.5 is ideal, so a peat-based potting soil with extra perlite is recommended. You can also consider blending in a bark-based orchid mix. The soil itself should be reasonably nitrogen-rich, but should be loose and not densely-packed.

Chinese evergreens require some nitrogen for foliage development, but it is easy to over fertilise them because many houseplant fertilisers tend to carry a lot of salt deposits which can build up in the soil. If you use a conventional pot plant feeder, mix it at half the recommended dosage, or consider using Nitrosol which is an excellent feeder to use on almost all foliage plants, and well worth investing in for you aglaonema.

Potted plants like to grow in small pots and should only be re-potted when they have outgrown their original pot, and when you do repot, select a pot one size larger the one it is currently growing in.  The plants should be re-potted into fresh soil every two years. This not only replenishes the soil, but it also allows you to divide your plant if you wish to, or to increase the size of its pot.

Outdoors:

In tropical, sub-tropical and frost-free regions the Chinese evergreen looks beautiful growing in clumps in the shade of trees. Choose a warm sheltered spot in the garden that receives bright, indirect sun and has well drained, slightly acidic soil.  Dig a hole in the prepared area slightly larger than the root ball. Remove the plant from the container, and position in the hole and backfill with soil, gently firming it down. Water in well, and keep the soil slightly moist thereafter. Feed in spring and autumn as for potted plants.

Pruning:

These low-maintenance plants don’t really need pruning and it is mostly done to remove dead leaves, which are pruned out from the base of the plant  using a pair of sterilised pruners.

However, if your plant is growing tall and ‘leggy’ do not prune it down right to the base, rather trim off some growth from the very top to encourage the plant to bush out. Leggy growth is an indication of too little light, so move your plant to a brighter location.

Most gardeners recommend pruning out any flower stalks which may appear because the flowers are not very attractive and once the bud opens the pollen is very messy. Flowers also use up the energy your plant should be devoting to growing fresh new leaves.

Propagation:

Chinese evergreens naturally propagate themselves via suckers beneath the soil’s surface, and a pot can rapidly fill up with young sucker plants. The easiest way to propagate them is to split and divide overgrown plants.

Gently remove your plant from its pot, and lightly dust or shake off any loose soil. Provided that the plants are not too root bound and tangled together, you should be able to gently pry your aglaonema apart with your fingers into smaller sections for replanting. If your plant is root bound, you will need to use a sharp, sterile knife to cut the root mass into multiple sections for replanting, but be sure to leave an even number of leaves and stalks on each section.

Keep the new pot size proportionate to the plant itself as aglaonemas like to have secure, dense root structures, and do not need a lot of extra soil, which can hold too much moisture. Always replant your plant at the same height as they were originally planted, as planting too deep will cause problems.

Problems, Pests & Diseases:

If grown correctly aglaonemas are surprisingly free of pests and diseases, but as with all plants, problems may occur.

The most common issue for these plants is yellowing of the leaves. Older leaves will naturally turn yellow before dying, but if yellowing is overall, it is a sign of either under or over watering, usually the latter. Be sure you maintain a moist but not wet soil to ensure dark green leaves.

If yellowing still occurs despite maintaining optimal watering conditions, your plant may be suffering from a copper deficiency. This is surprisingly common in this type of plant, as it’s a heavy feeder on copper in the soil. Your plant may be lacking micronutrients and should be fertilised appropriately. Trelmix is a great product which contains all the micro-elements required for the healthy growth of trees, shrubs, pot plants, lawns, vegetables and seedlings, and it’s always good to have a bottle handy for garden use.

Browning tips can be cause by a lack of humidity around the leaves, but is usually caused by a build-up of salts in the soil, chlorine, or fluoride from tap water. To remedy this, you can either leach the soil of its mineral deposits by thoroughly watering and draining it using distilled water, or you can simply repot into fresh soil. Using rain water is often the best for potted plants.

The most common pests are mealybugs, which attach themselves to the leathery leaves and cause damage to the plant by sucking the sap. Other scale insects may also make an appearance.

Less common but still possible are spider mites and aphids, which also suck the sap of plants.

All of the above can be handled with a light spray on all the surfaces of the plant with an insecticidal soap, like Biogrow Neudosan. This organic insecticidal soap should be applied in the evening or when the plant is less likely to be exposed to light prior to the mist drying, so as to avoid burning the foliage.

Aglaonema is susceptible to anthracnose and myrothecium leaf spots, which are both fungal. These can discolour your leaves and cause holes or patchy, dry brown areas which can slowly develop over time and cause severe damage. Treating these requires a light misting with a liquid copper fungicide such as Biogrow Copper Soap. Apply this product at dusk so that it can dry on the foliage surfaces overnight. Your plant should appreciate the extra copper, as well!

If your plant is frequently overwatered, it may develop fusarium root rot. This is generally fatal, so your best protection against this is prevention. Do not overwater your plant!

Warning:

Aglaonema is toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, and if they do eat it, get them to the vet immediately!

In addition, the sap can cause dermititis, and can create skin irritations and skin rashes. Keep this plant away from children.

Philodendron scandensPhilodendron scandens 'aureus'These climbing plants come mostly from tropical America and the West Indies.

They grow easily indoors in moderate to subdued light. Some varieties will cascade and can be planted in hanging baskets.

Water them regularly in summer and spray the plant down with tepid water often. Feed once a month.

The scientific name of this plant has changed, so please click here to read more 

Syngonium 'White Butterfly'Syngonium 'Pixie'These climbing plants are grown for their pretty leaves and are often planted in hanging baskets or as a ground cover. They grow easily indoors in moderate to good light indoors and need to be watered regularly in summer. Mist-spray their leaves often with tepid water and feed them once a month in summer. Plant them in rich but well-drained soil. They are grown outdoors in frost-free areas.

This unusual grass-like plant is easy to grow indoors in good light. It needs a moist soil and must be watered regularly all year round. Feed it once a month in summer.

This strongly architectural plant complements modern architecture in homes and offices.

Click here to read more under Medium Sized Plants