Crambe cordifolia

Crambe cordifolia is a unique herbaceous perennial with large foliage from which erupt enormous cloud-like inflorescences of tiny honey-scented flowers. It grows large and a large space is needed, ideally in an location sheltered from gusts of wind and with a deep rich soil to accommodate its large 'do-not-disturb-me' tap-root. When flowering, it is a magnet for bees and butterflies but like most members of the Brassica family it is also a magnet for slugs and snails and cabbage-white caterpillers. This is not a plant you can just bung in and hope for the best... it is a challenge... it is labour-intensive... you will need to be dedicated to the task and approach growing Crambe cordifolia with a military mindset armed with an arsenal of eco-friendly weapons including nematodes, traps and organic pellets for the slugs as well as plain old daily vigilence. For the Cabbage White caterpillars, the nematode Steinernema carpocapsae together with the wasp, Cotesia glomerata or Trichogramma wasps are highly effective and inexpensive biocontrols.  People can underestimate the care needed to grow this plant and a large flowering specimen is something to be proud of.

Crambe cordifolia has been a favourite in estate borders and cottage gardens for many years but garden designers tend to reject it because they know their time-conscious clients will never be able to give it the attention it needs to successfully flourish and flower. Likewise, exotic gardeners have often dismissed it as 'too cottagy' and only recently have some more visionary souls begun to recognise its powerful architectural presence and experimented with it in bolder planting combinations. Its broad crinkled foliage and enormous nebulae of flowers have a built-in contrast that look brilliant with a wide range of more regular exotics.