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Subtle Seedheads

© Jane Hollis

Wandering round the winter garden, I was struck by the subtle beauty of the various seedheads of different plants.

One of my favourites is honesty (Lunaria biennis), which is often underrated. It is a real all-seasons plant, overwintering as a patch of serrated heart-shaped leaves, a welcome back of foliage against the bare earth. Then in spring the modest flowers appear, creating a purple haze which looks particularly good against silver foliage, such as a weeping silver pear (Pyrus salicifolia 'Pendula'). These flowers are followed by flat, oval seed cases, which start off green, then turn purple, and finally by winter become a ghostly, translucent white. It will grow in most soils in sun or partial shade.

A perennial well-known for its winter seedheads is Sedum spectabile, whose umbels look particularly good topped with frost or snow. There are a number of named varieties, the best known probably being 'Autumn Joy' (which we are now meant to call 'Herbstfreude'!) A close relative of Sedum spectabile is Sedum telephium and there is a particularly good cultivar called 'Munstead Red' which has deep red flowerheads and dark seedheads. The sedums are best grown in well-drained, even poor soil, in full sun, if you want to avoid flopping stems.

Another favourite for winter seedheads is the Eryngium family (sea hollies) - the species shown here is Eryngium planum. The beautiful flowerheads start off as a metallic blue before fading to become crisp, brown seedheads. Left alone, these plants are happy to self-seed generously. Eryngiums, like Sedums, prefer well-drained soil in full sun.

Looking closer at the faded borders, I was taken with the arching seedheads of Crocosmia 'Lucifer'. Many paperlike capsules are clustered along the stem, bursting with rich brown seeds. This cormous perennial grows to 3' or 4' high and bears searing spikes of bright red flowers in midsummer. They will grow in any reasonable soil in sun or partial shade.

Adding a touch of fluffy lightness to the garden are the seedheads of Clematis tangutica. This vigorous climber sports a mass of small yellow flowers in late summer and autumn, which are then followed by these spidery seedheads in winter. It can grow to 15'-20' and will grow in most reasonable soils in sun or partial shade.

Grasses are renowned for the winter interest of their seedheads. In my garden, Stipa gigantea lost its oat-like plumes in the first high wind, but the heads of Festuca glauca, Pennisetum setaceum (shown here) and Miscanthus sinesis carry on elegantly. Most grasses prefer well-drained soil in full sun.