If you love the classic Arum Lily but have a smaller garden, this charming compact version was made for you. Dwarf Arum Lily ‘Childsiana’ is an exquisite, clump-forming evergreen perennial that packs all the beauty of its larger relative into a neat, space-saving package. It features lush, glossy, arrow-shaped, deep green leaves forming a handsome clump, followed by a succession of elegant pure white spathes surrounding a prominent, bright yellow spadix. Reaching only 50cm tall, it’s perfect for positioning where those sculptural blooms can be appreciated up close.

Run your hand over those deeply lobed, finger-like leaves, and you’ll feel why Xanadu is so beloved. Philodendron Xanadu (formerly known as ‘Winterbourn’ and now reclassified under Thaumatophyllum) is a clump-forming, evergreen perennial that forms a dense, fountain-like clump of glossy, dark green leaves, each pinnately divided into numerous wavy, finger-like lobes. Over time, it develops a stout, self-heading stem with prominent leaf scars and may produce aerial roots. While it rarely flowers indoors or in temperate climates, in ideal outdoor conditions it can produce a striking, dark red spathe surrounding a creamy white spadix.

When most plants are winding down for winter, this one is just hitting its stride. Bush Violet, also known as Bosviooltjie, is a fast-growing, soft evergreen shrub that saves its best for autumn. For most of the year, it sits quietly with small, hairy, dark green leaves forming a gentle mound. Then, from late summer through autumn (March to June), it transforms completely—smothered in masses of delicate, tubular flowers in soft mauve-blue, with occasional pink or white forms. Each bloom carries violet-coloured pollen, creating a soft, misty effect that’s simply breathtaking.

Watch one cluster of blooms closely, and you’ll see flowers in deep purple, soft lavender, and pure white all at once—three colours, three days, one captivating shrub. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, known in Afrikaans as Verbleikblom (“bleaching flower”), is a semi-evergreen to evergreen shrub with a rounded, bushy habit of elliptical, leathery leaves with a glossy, waxy sheen. From spring through summer (and often sporadically into autumn), it produces clusters of showy, trumpet-shaped flowers that open rich, deep violet-purple, fade to soft lavender on the second day, and finally turn pure white before falling. The blooms are delightfully fragrant, releasing a sweet, spicy scent that intensifies in the warmth of the afternoon and evening.

Mysterious, medicinal, and unmistakably beautiful—Common Wormwood has quite a reputation. This is the very plant from which the infamous spirit absinthe is derived. A hardy, shrubby perennial, it forms a bushy, rounded clump of upright, multi-branched, grey-green stems covered in fine, silky hairs. The leaves are the true showstoppers: deeply lobed and finely divided, they’re covered in dense, silvery-white hairs on both sides, creating a soft, velvety, luminous effect that seems to glow in the garden. Brush against them, and you’ll release a strong, sharp, sage-like fragrance. In late summer (January to March), loose panicles of small, yellowish-grey flower heads add subtle textural interest.

Stand beneath its enormous, lobed leaves, and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a prehistoric jungle. Philodendron Selloum, also known as Tree Philodendron or Lacy Tree Philodendron, is a striking evergreen shrub that develops a thick, trunk-like stem over time, sending down strong aerial roots. Its crowning glory is the magnificent canopy of gigantic, glossy, dark green leaves, which can grow up to 1.5 metres long, with deeply cut, ruffled lobes that create a bold, textural, exotic silhouette. In its native habitat, it may produce a showy, funnel-shaped inflorescence with a red-purple spathe, but indoors or in non-tropical climates, flowering is extremely rare.

Let those slender, wiry stems trail over the edge of a hanging basket, and you’ll see why Angel Vine is a favourite for adding airy, delicate charm. Also known as Maidenhair Vine or Wire Vine, this vigorous, evergreen climber is treasured for its fine, reddish-brown stems and its profusion of tiny, glossy, bright green leaves. Those heart-shaped to rounded leaves create a soft, lacy, cloud-like effect that brings lightness and movement to any planting. In summer, small, inconspicuous greenish-white to creamy-yellow flowers may appear, sometimes followed by small, fleshy, white to translucent fruits with a glossy black seed inside. But honestly, those elegant, cascading stems are the real show.

Step into a Mediterranean hillside without leaving the Western Cape—that’s the magic of Rosemary. This woody, evergreen shrub has upright, branching stems clothed in pairs of leathery, linear leaves. Dark green on top and covered in fine, white, woolly hairs beneath, the foliage takes on a soft, silvery-green glow. Brush against it, and you’ll release a powerful, refreshing, pine-like fragrance that has been cherished for centuries. From winter through spring (and often sporadically throughout the year), small, two-lipped, tubular flowers appear in pale blue, lavender, pink, or white, drawing bees and other pollinators in droves.