Choosing Acid Loving Plants: Perennials and Climbers

Reasons to grow: Bright green mats of foliage smothered in azure blue, trumpet shaped flowers from early autumn to early winter. This little plant looks stunning at the front of borders or planted among paving stones. A real gem amongst acid loving plants!

Reasons to grow: One of the very best acid loving plants for a waterside location as the creamy white striped sword shaped leaves provide architectural form. Each stem produces four or more bright yellow flowers from mid to late summer. It can be invasive so if space is restricted remove the seed heads after flowering or grow in containers sunk into the ground. See important note below.

Also consider: Where space is limited try growing I. ensata; for drier conditions try I. sibirica.

Important note: Iris pseudacorus is native to Europe, the British Isles, North Africa and the Mediterranean where it grows both in the wild and as an ornamental. Outside these areas, and certainly in the US and Canada, it has escaped from cultivation and poses a threat to native eco-systems. In many of these regions it is classed as an invasive aquatic plant and should not be cultivated.

Reasons to grow: An excellent and hard working plant. From August to November, as other flowers are beginning to fade, spikes of deep violet flowers rise above the dense strap-like foliage. This tough little plant will cope with difficult conditions including dry shade and drought and makes excellent groundcover.

Form: clump forming perennial
Foliage: deciduous
Hardiness: UK - hardy; North American hardiness zones 7 to 8
Soil: reliably moist but well drained, rich acid soil
Situation: partial shade sheltered from wind
Height: 1.2m (4ft)
Spread: 45cm (18in)
Awards: RHS AGM

Reasons to grow: Large, delicate, saucer-shaped blue flowers unfurl magically from the drooping buds in early summer. This is one of those acid loving plants that stops you in your tracks when it is flowering.

Also consider: M. grandis for larger but less clustered flowers; M. x sheldonii, a hybrid of M. betonicifolia and M. grandis.

Form: climber
Foliage: deciduous
Hardiness: UK - hardy; North American hardiness zones 5 to 9
Soil: any moist to well drained, tolerant of acid soil
Situation: sunny sheltered site
Height: 10m (33ft)
Awards: RHS AGM

Reasons to grow: A bold vigorous climber bearing exotic trumpet shaped orange red flowers in profusion from late summer to autumn. Excellent for Mediterranean style gardens and wall side borders. Although it is tougher than it looks, it may need some winter protection for the first couple of years.

Reasons to grow: A vigorous self clinging climber with large handsome heart-shaped leaves with a broad, creamy-white margin. Excellent for covering a shady unattractive wall and also effective as groundcover.

Also consider: 'Sulphur Heart' for dark green leaves suffused with yellow.