Nandina domestica – Heavenly Bamboo

Nandina domestica (Heavenly bamboo or Sacred bamboo), is a suckering shrub in the Barberry family, Berberidaceae; it is a monotypic genus, with this species as its only member. It is native to eastern Asia from the Himalaya east to Japan. Despite the common name, it is not a bamboo at all.

It is an erect shrub growing to 2 m tall, with numerous, usually unbranched stems growing from the roots. The leaves are evergreen (sometimes deciduous in colder areas), 50-100 cm long, bi- to tri-pinnately compound, with the individual leaflets 4-11 cm long and 1.5-3 cm broad. The young leaves in spring are brightly coloured pink to red before turning green; old leaves turn red or purple again before falling. The flowers are white, borne in early summer in conical clusters held well above the foliage. The fruit is a bright red berry 5-10 mm diameter, ripening in late autumn and often persisting through the winter. The berries are poisonous containing nandenine. The birds are not affected and will disperse the seeds through their droppings. It can be fatal if ingested. All parts of the the plant contains a poisonous substance hydrocyanic acid.

It is widely grown in gardens as an ornamental plant; over 60 cultivars have been named in Japan, where the species is particularly popular. It has become naturalised in parts of eastern South America.

Elaeagnus x ebbingei Limelight - Oleaster Plant

Elaeagnus (Silverberry or Oleaster) is a genus of about 50–70 species of flowering plants in the Elaeagnaceae. The vast majority of the species are native to temperate and subtropical regions of Asia, with one species (E. triflora) extending south into northeastern Australia, and another species (E. commutata) restricted to North America. A third species (E. angustifolia) may also be native in southeasternmost Europe, though it may be an early human introduction there.

They are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees with alternate leaves. The leaves and shoots are usually covered with tiny silvery to brownish scales, giving the plants a whitish to grey-brown colour from a distance. The flowers are small, with a four-lobed calyx and no petals; they are often fragrant.

Elaeagnus x ebbingei Limelight - Oleaster Plant

Lustrous, dark green leaves with lime-green and yellow-splashed centres and fragrant, creamy-white, autumn flowers. This versatile, variegated plant is ideal for illuminating dark areas of the shrub border or for growing as an informal hedge. One of the toughest evergreen shrubs, it copes well with dry soil and salt-laden air - so ideal if you have a coastal garden.

Firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea)

Firethorn (Pyracantha) is a genus of thorny evergreen large shrubs in the family Rosaceae, subfamily Maloideae. They are native from southeast Europe east to southeast Asia, and are closely related to Cotoneaster, but have serrated leaf margins and numerous thorns (Cotoneaster is thornless).

The plants reach up to 6 m tall. The seven species have white flowers and either red, orange, or yellow berries (more correctly pomes). The flowers are produced during late spring and early summer; the pomes develop from late summer, and mature in late autumn.

Pyracanthas are valuable ornamental plants, grown in gardens for their decorative flowers and fruit, often very densely borne. Their dense thorny structure makes them particularly valued in situations where an impenetrable barrier is required. The aesthetic characteristics of pyracanthas plants, in conjunction with their home security qualities, makes them a considerable alternative to artificial fences and walls. They are also a good shrub for a wildlife garden, providing dense cover for roosting and nesting birds, summer flowers for bees and an abundance of berries as a food source. Pyracantha berries are not poisonous as commonly thought; although they are very bitter, they are edible when cooked and are sometimes made into jelly.

Laburnum - 'golden chain tree'

Laburnum (also called Golden Chain) is a genus of two species of small trees in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae, Laburnum anagyroides (Common Laburnum) and L. alpinum (Alpine Laburnum). They are native to the mountains of southern Europe from France to the Balkan Peninsula

They have yellow pea-flowers in pendulous racemes 10-30 cm (4-12 in) long in spring, which makes them very popular garden trees. In L. anagyroides the racemes are 10-20 cm (4-8 in) long, with densely packed flowers; in L. alpinum the racemes are 20-30 cm (8-12 in) long, but with the flowers sparsely along the raceme.

The leaves are trifoliate, somewhat like a clover, the leaflets typically 2-3 cm (¾-1¼ in) long in L. anagyroides and 4-5 cm (1½-2 in) long in L. alpinum.

Most garden specimens are of the hybrid between the two species, Laburnum × watereri (Voss's Laburnum), which combines the longer racemes of L. alpinum with the denser flowers of L. anagyroides; it also has the benefit of low seed production (Laburnum seed toxicity is a common cause of poisoning in young children, who mistake the seeds for peas).

The yellow flowers are responsible for the old poetic name 'golden chain tree' (also spelled golden chaintree or goldenchain tree).