SERIES 33 | Episode 12
Is Vietnamese mint really a mint?
SOPHIE: Well, no! It's not in the Mentha genus, like peppermint or spearmint. And it's not even in the same family, Lamiaceae. It's Persicaria odorata and it's in the Polygonaceae family, along with buckwheat, sorrel and rhubarb, and it certainly is a culinary herb with amazing flavour.
Which native plants are easy to grow from cuttings?
JOSH: Some can be quite tricky,but for beginners, think about species of callistemon, melaleuca, correa or westringia. Take a 15cm cutting of material from this season's growth, pinch off any flowers and lower leaves, dip the end in honey and then put it into free-draining propagation mix and you'll have new plants in about six weeks.
Why do my clivias have yellow leaves?
JANE: Clivias are great plants to grow in dry shade under trees. They have lovely orange flowers that strike up in winter, broad, strappy leaves that are deep green in the shade. However, if the plants are getting more sunlight than they really need, they go yellow and they can even show sign of sunburn. That's unlikely to kill the plant but they will be much happier in deeper shade.
Featured Plants | |
|---|---|
| VIETNAMESE MINT | Persicaria odorata |
| CLIVIA | Clivia sp. |