Millais Nurseries
Choice Plants
Throughout the year, we stock an extensive and diverse range of choice plants that complement rhododendrons beautifully. Our aim is to maintain a collection that is not only interesting but also unique to us.
Our collection includes a variety of shrubs and trees. We carefully select each plant for its ability to thrive in similar growing conditions, providing a harmonious and eye-catching display.
Albizia julibrissin 'Summer Chocolate' AGM
silk tree 'Summer Chocolate'
Synonyms: Albizia 'Summer Chocolate', Albizia rosea 'Summer Chocolate'
(H4) Purple or pinkish-bronze, fern-like leaves, composed of leaflets. A small tree or large shrub with a domed crown when mature. Terminal clusters of spherical pinkish or yellow-green flowerheads can be borne in summer. Requires a sheltered position, west or south facing in full sun and well-drained...
Callicarpa bodinieri Profusion AGM
Also known as Beautyberry
(H6) Small lilac flowers in summer turning to amazing violet purple fruits in clusters in the autumn. Lovely purplish young foliage turned pink in autumn. Height 3m in 10 years. Deciduous with an upright habit. Requires moist, well drained acid soil in full sun or partial shade.
Calycanthus Aphrodite
12 litre plant shown in second photo
(H5) Deep red fragrant flowers tipped with cream, are borne from late spring and into summer. Glossy leaves, turn yellow with good autumn colour. A multi-stemmed shrub with upright arching branches. Height 150-175cm in 10 years. Best in sheltered sun or shade.
Aphrodite' is a multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub with Magnolia like flowers up to 10cm in diameter.
Calycanthus...
Calycanthus Hartlage Wine AGM
(H5) Wine red flowers with cream in the centre, resembling a magnolia flower. Scented and long flowering through summer A multi-stemmed shrub with upright to arching branches. Height 200-400cm in 10 years. Best in sheltered sun/shade.
Calycanthus are deciduous shrubs with simple, aromatic leaves and solitary, fragrant flowers in summer
'Hartlage Wine' is a multi-stemmed shrub with upright to arching...
Calycanthus Venus
(H5) Large scented creamy-white Magnolia type flowers with yellow and purple central markings from late Spring to early summer. Deciduous multi-stemmed shrub with glossy green leaves that turn yellow-brown in autumn. Height 200-400cm in 10 years.
Calycanthus are deciduous shrubs with simple, aromatic leaves and solitary, fragrant flowers in summer.
Also known as × Sinocalycalycanthus 'Venus'
Cornus alba Nightfall
(H6) Cornus alba 'Nightfall' offers dark green spring leaves that turn rich purple by autumn. Its velvety grey leaf undersides contrast with darker foliage, and red winter branches add visual interest year-round. This hardy, low-maintenance deciduous shrub is not only beautiful but also practical. It is hardy and more upright than others in its collection. It works well as a hedge, screen, or background...
Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire'
(H5) A choice 'dogwood', forming a large spreading shrub. Orange-red & yellow young shoots with white flowers in the Summer. Bright coloured stems in the Winter. Height 200-400cm in 10 years. Moist acid or neutral soils.
Drimys winteri var. chilensis
(H4) A large evergreen shrub or tree with long, leathery dark green leaves and silvery undersides. The aromatic bark and leaves enhance its appeal. From spring to early summer, it produces fragrant, creamy white flowers about 2.5 cm across. Ultimate height: Higher than 12 meters, Ultimate Spread: Wider than 8 meters. Time to ultimate height 20-50 years. Prefers a sheltered position (avoid north-facing)...
Eucryphia intermedia Rostrevor AGM
(H4) An abundance of white cup shaped fragrant flowers in late summer early autumn. A compact but fast growing evergreen tree with broad upright habit. Needs a warm and sheltered position, Prefers shaded roots with the canopy in full sun. Height 2-4m in 10 years. Plant in moist acid or neutral soils.
Eucryphia nymansensis Nymansay AGM
Multiple dish faced white flowers, 6cm wide, with prominent stamens in late summer and early autumn. A vigorous tall growing semi-evergreen tree of columnar habit. Raised at Nymans garden (now National Trust) in 1915. Height 2-3 metres in 10 years. Best in moist loamy soil with roots shaded from hot sun, in a sheltered position.
Flowering later in the season, and evergreen, this is a useful choice...
Kalmia latifolia 'Olympic Fire'
Rich red buds opening to soft pink almost white octagonal flowers in late May early June. This variety has a slightly more upright habit than some. The new foliage is a glossy green with a slight wave to the edge of the leaves.
Kalmias are a medium sized evergreen shrub from south-eastern USA and Asian mountains where they typically grow under the canopy of tall trees. They are an under used shrub...
Kalmia latifolia 'Ostbo Red'
Bright red buds opening to soft pink octagonal flowers in late May early June. The foliage can be interesting as it tends to have a wavy edge and can even appear to look twisted. A slightly lower growing plant at approximately 100cm x 100cm in 10 years.
Kalmias are a medium sized evergreen shrub from south-eastern USA and Asian mountains where they typically grow under the canopy of tall trees. They...
Liquidamber styraciflua Thea
A Dutch selection of 'Sweet Gum' with shining green leaves with long central lobes in summer, followed by very deep autumn foliage. Forms a beautiful large tree, which looks good all year. Height 2-4 metres in 10 years. Best on acid or neutral soils.
Mahonia gracilipes
slender Oregon grape(H5) Compact, low-growing, evergreen shrub. Featuring large, spiny edged leaves up to 40cm long that emerge burgundy with a white waxy underside. In late summer to autumn, it produces small bell-shaped purple-red flowers that are creamy-white inside, followed by bloomy black fruits on red stalks. Prefers a sheltered position in full sun, partial shade or full shade and a moist but...
Mahonia oiwakensis subsp. lomariifolia AGM
lomaria-leaved mahonia(H4) A tall evergreen shrub, with long pinnate leaves and spiny leaflets. Producing dense clusters of bright yellow, lightly scented flowers up to 25 cm from late autumn into winter, followed by blue-black berries. Prefers a sheltered position in full or partial shade and moist but well-drained to well-drained soil. 2.5-4m high x 1.5-2.5m wide in 10-20 years.
Sambucus Welsh Gold
(H7) A compact, bushy shrub with deeply cut golden-yellow leaves flushed bronze when young. It produces white flowers in late spring to early summer, followed by hanging clusters of red-orange berries in late summer. A deciduous plant with a spreading branched habit. Can be positioned in full sun or partial shade in a moist but well-drained soil. 150cm high x 100cm wide in 5 years.
Toona sinensis 'Flamingo'
Wonderful foliage tree with brilliant pink large pinnate young leaves turning cream, and then to green. Fragrant white flowers in drooping panicles in late summer. Height 4-6 metres in 10 years. Best in a sheltered spot.
Please note these can be difficult to establish/root and are a tree, so not suitable for pots.
Often looks best when grown as a multi-stemmed tree, such as the specimen on Battleston...