Reviewed By COLIN SKELLY
Colin is a Horticulturist and Horticultural Consultant with experience in a range of practical and managerial roles across heritage, commercial and public horticulture. He holds the Royal Horticultural Society’s Master of Horticulture award and has a particular interest in horticultural ecology and naturalistic planting for habitat and climate resilience.
IN THIS GUIDE
- 1) H. apenninum
- 2) H. nummularium
- 3) H. ‘David’
- 4) H. ‘The Bride’
- 5) H. ‘Wisley Primrose’
- 6) H. ‘Jubilee’
- 7) H. ‘Ben Attow’
- 8) H. ‘Praecox’
- 9) H. ‘Marianne’
- 10) H. ‘Orchard’s Medius Pink’
- 11) H. ‘Rose Queen’
- 12) H. ‘Rhodanthe Carneum’
- 13) H. ‘Ben Lomond’
- 14) H. ‘Georgeham’
- 15) H. ‘Highdown Apricot’
- 16) H. ‘Honeymoon’
- 17) H. ‘Orchard’s Dwarf Orange’
- 18) H. ‘Henfield Brilliant’
- 19) H. ‘Ben Heckla’
- 20) H. ‘Alice Howorth’
- 21) H. ‘Orchard’s Griseo’
- 22) H. ‘Dompfaff’
- 23) H. ‘Orchard’s Pastel’
- 24) H. ‘Cerise Queen’
- 25) H. ‘Orchard’s Royale’
- 26) H. ‘Fire Dragon’
- 27) H. ‘Beech Park Red’
- Endangered Varieties
- References
Helianthemum has undergone significant floriculture in England with the result that a few double flowers have also been developed.
One can choose from a total of 200-plus cultivars in a wide range of hues and tones spanning the entire warm spectrum plus white.1Roberts, A. (n.d.). Collection: Helianthemums [Helianthemum]. Helianthemums.co.uk. Retrieved March 16, 2023, from https://www.helianthemums.co.uk/collection/
Here are some of my favourite varieties to grow for beautiful low-growing shrubs:
1) H. apenninum
Has linear to lanceolate leaves and produces snow-white flowers with a yellow central disk and stamens to match.
This species can reach a height of 50cm.
2) H. nummularium
The species from which the vast majority of cultivars have been developed.
It attains a height of 30-40cm.
It has oval leaves and bright yellow flowers with prominent orange stamens.
The following selected cultivars typically bloom from late spring to the middle of summer:
3) H. ‘David’
Has lanceolate leaves and a pure white flower with sizeable central disks and visible buttery stamens.
4) H. ‘The Bride’
Has foliage that is distinctly silvery-green with a frosted appearance while the flowers are white or off-white with yellow eyes.
This variety is a recipient of the RHS Award of Garden Merit.
5) H. ‘Wisley Primrose’
Has greyish-green lanceolate leaves and produces classic primrose yellow flowers with darker, buttery yellow centres.
RHS Award of Garden Merit.
6) H. ‘Jubilee’
One of the few varieties to produce double flowers; these are of a primrose yellow hue. RHS Award of Garden Merit.
7) H. ‘Ben Attow’
This variety has dark green lanceolate leaves and produces lemon-yellow flowers with prominent matching stamens.
8) H. ‘Praecox’
has chalky-green lanceolate leaves and bears flowers that are fully yellow of a bright, sunny hue.
9) H. ‘Marianne’
has greyish-green pinnate leaves and bears whitish flowers that have a faint pink tinge or pink flush set off by bright yellow stamens.
10) H. ‘Orchard’s Medius Pink’
Has appealing light green leaves and bears baby pink flowers with sizeable central disks in orange which are further centred by bright yellow stamens.
11) H. ‘Rose Queen’
Has elliptic leaves of a greyish-green hue and bears soft pink flowers with golden eyes and prominent stamens.
12) H. ‘Rhodanthe Carneum’
Has silvery-grey elliptic leaves and bears soft pink flowers with yellow centres further accented by yellow stamens. RHS Award of Garden Merit.
13) H. ‘Ben Lomond’
Has dark green elliptic leaves and produces flowers of a classic baby pink hue that have prominent golden stamens.
14) H. ‘Georgeham’
Has greyish-green lanceolate leaves and bears bright pink flowers with a creamy pink disk further centred by prominent yellow stamens.
15) H. ‘Highdown Apricot’
Has greyish-green leaves with flowers of an unusual pastel apricot-pink hue with bright yellow central disks and visible yellow stamens.
16) H. ‘Honeymoon’
Has bright green elliptic leaves and produces peach to light orange flowers with prominent yellow stamens.
17) H. ‘Orchard’s Dwarf Orange’
Has light green elliptic leaves and bears flowers of a rich amber-orange with prominent yellow stamens.
18) H. ‘Henfield Brilliant’
Has lanceolate leaves of a frosted greyish-green hue and produces poppy orange flowers with visible yellow stamens. RHS Award of Garden Merit.
19) H. ‘Ben Heckla’
Has grey-green ovate leaves and bears rich orange flowers with large vermilion central disks with just-visible yellow stamens.
20) H. ‘Alice Howorth’
Has mid-green pinnate leaves and bears flowers that are of a chalky coral tone and red at the centres with prominent yellow stamens.
21) H. ‘Orchard’s Griseo’
Has bright green pinnate leaves and bears coral-pink flowers with very prominent buttery yellow stamens.
22) H. ‘Dompfaff’
Has dark green pinnate leaves and produces flowers of a chalky lipstick-red hue which are darker at the centres and have prominent yellow stamens.
23) H. ‘Orchard’s Pastel’
Has cool green lanceolate leaves and produces rose-red flowers with prominent yellow stamens.
24) H. ‘Cerise Queen’
One of the few varieties to produce double flowers; these are of a saturated pinkish-red or lipstick-red hue.
25) H. ‘Orchard’s Royale’
Has silvery-green lanceolate leaves and bears fuschia to magenta-toned flowers with bright yellow stamens.
26) H. ‘Fire Dragon’
Has bright green lanceolate leaves and bears scarlet flowers with a deeper red centre and visible yellow stamens. RHS Award of Garden Merit.
27) H. ‘Beech Park Red’
Has elliptic dark green leaves and produces bright red flowers with visible yellow stamens.
Endangered Varieties
The desirable varieties of Helianthemum are cultivated and grown in an increasing number of countries and are rising in popularity; indeed, eight of these little flowering shrubs have even been awarded the RHS’s Award of Garden Merit.
“Many species with wild distributions will need the skills of gardeners to avoid extinction,” explains Master Horticulturist Colin Skelly.
“Cultivated plants also face the threat of extinction as some cultivars fall out of fashion and are no longer grown.”
But the realities could not be more different and more grim for the less well-known species – would you believe that some are on the road to extinction?
H. songaricum & H. ordosicum
Native to hilly regions of Southwestern China.
Human settlements in their habitats and resultant habitat-altering activities, such as agriculture and grazing, have severely fragmented these species’ populations which have been declining for several years.
This led to both species being categorised as ‘Endangered’ in the China Species Red List.
H. marifolium & H. caput-felis
These grow in the islands, cliffs, and coastal regions of the Western Mediterranean region.
Their habitats have been disturbed and even taken over by tourist resorts and urban sprawl.
H. marifolium is termed ‘Vulnerable’ and H. caput-felis ‘Rare’ and both are categorised as ‘Endangered’.
Each species has been accorded a protected status under the respective country or region’s laws.
No matter which varieties you choose to grow – the endangered ones or the AGM ones – these mat-forming evergreens that bear exceedingly pretty flowers over a long blooming season are truly no-care no-fuss plants that will bring their own unique charms to your garden.
