With South African origins, Phygelius brings a sunny, tropical feel to herbaceous borders. Clusters of tubular flowers dangle from upright stems from July to September, like delicate chandeliers in bright carnival shades of pink, coral, red or gold.

With a neat, clump-forming habit, this dazzling beauty is invaluable for exotic planting schemes or adding a vibrant splash of colour to patio pots. Choose a sheltered, sunny spot on fertile but well drained soil, where this radiant beauty makes a glamourous focal point.

Commonly known as Cape Fucshia or Cape Figwort, this alluring sub-shrub remains semi-evergreen in warm locations. In colder areas it is best treated as an herbaceous perennial by cutting back the old stems to encourage new growth from the crown of the plant each spring.

How to plant:

— Phygelius are supplied in spring for planting between February and May, and in autumn for planting between September and December. In either case, you should plant in the same season as supplied, ideally within a week of delivery while they're still fresh and viable.

— Phygelius are supplied as 9cm root balls (like potted plants with soil on the roots). They need light and moisture and should be unpacked on the day of arrival. If you can't plant on the day of delivery, remove from the packaging and place the plant in a dish of water outside and plant within a week.

— Root ball plants can often be planted directly into a clear space in a well cultivated border, depending on the soil type, moisture levels, temperatures and growing conditions in the border. Avoid planting them directly into a space with challenging soil or which could soon become over-crowded by more established plants. The planting area should be dug over and weeds removed before planting direct.

— Where the growing conditions are considered challenging (dry, poor soil, heavily planted area or temperatures likely to fall below -5C), for best results we recommend potting your 9cm root ball plant into a 15-20cm pot using multipurpose compost and growing on in a sheltered, bright position until the plant is more established. It will be ready to transfer once the roots begin to appear through the drainage holes in the pot.

— Plant root balls so that the root system is fully submerged in the compost, leaving the buds/crown just level with the surface. Any young shoots/leaves or stems which have already emerged should be left exposed above the soil surface. Shoots or leaves may be pale in colour if supplied later in spring, however they will soon green up after being exposed to daylight.

— If planting root ball plants directly into a clear border, choose a sheltered position in full sun on any moist, fertile and well-drained soil and space the plants 30-40cm apart if forming a group. Add multipurpose compost to each planting hole to help the new roots grow.

— Water thoroughly immediately after planting and continue watering regularly in the first year, they should be watered whenever the soil starts to feel dry.

— Phygelius are fairly hardy and can tolertae temperatures as low as -5/-10C. If temperatures are likely to fall below -5C, it is a good idea to protect them with mulch or fleece, or move newly-potted Phygelius under cover during cold snaps.

Aftercare:

— Phygelius is a semi-evergreen sub-shrub, usually retaining some of its foliage throughout the winter months. New growth will emerge each spring.

— Deadhead the faded blooms to promote bushier growth and more flowers.

— Cape Figwort is reasonably hardy but prefers some shelter from strong winds and very cold temperatures below -5C. Plants potted in the autumn will benefit from some frost protection in their first year. Mature plants can be mulched in autumn to protect the crown of the plant during the coldest months.

— In cold locations, Phygelius can be treated as an herbaceous perennial. Prune Cape Figwort plants in late spring as new growth start to emerge, cutting back old stems to 3cm above ground level. In milder, frost-free growing conditions, the stems can be left intact and just lightly pruned in spring.