Chinese lantern
I regard the Chinese lantern as one of my inheritance plants; my parents grew it in their
In the years that followed I rarely came across another, which is a puzzle to me because it’s a very striking plant, and no more so than at this time of the year. Having tried unsuccessfully to establish it here in our own
He very kindly donated a division and it thrives in a pot by our back door.
So I’m still a little mystified as to why it did so poorly for us in West Sussex (until containerised) especially as many growers describe it as invasive? Slugs? Does any reader have an idea?
So the bare facts are: it’s herbaceous, very hardy, and grows to a height of about 60cm and is tolerant of most soils, preferring damp to dry. The foliage is nondescript and the creamy yellow flowers are understated and easy to miss (not by the pollinators though). These are followed by orange lanterns, later turning red: paper-like pods encasing red berries. They have a long season and also make excellent dried flowers.
If you like the unusual and highly decorative, then this is for you.
NB Louise has published a beautifully produced book of her plant profiles – A Plant for Each Week of the Year. It costs £9.99 and is for sale in our online shop here.
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