Winter care: we are into the colder months. Protect newly planted or tender specimens from hard frosts, and hold off planting out until the frost risk has passed.
Sparmannia africana, also spelled Sparrmannia africana and known as African Hemp or the House Lime, is one of the most handsome big-leaved exotics you can grow. It makes a fast, bushy shrub clothed in enormous, soft, pale-green leaves like a giant lime or vine leaf, and from late winter into spring it hangs clusters of nodding white flowers, each with a showy powderpuff of golden and red-purple stamens at the centre. This is a plant grown first and foremost for its lush, jungly foliage and its generous, easy-going nature.
It is important to be honest about hardiness. Native to the woodlands of South Africa, Sparmannia africana is tender, rated RHS H1C, so it is not a hardy garden shrub. Think of it instead as a conservatory, greenhouse or bright houseplant that loves to spend the summer outdoors on a sheltered patio, then comes back under cover before the first frosts. Kept frost-free and above roughly 5 to 7C it stays evergreen and grows quickly. For more on how tender exotics behave through the seasons, see our what to expect guide.
Because it grows so freely, African Hemp responds beautifully to pruning. Cut it back after flowering, or in spring, and pinch the new shoots to keep a dense, leafy dome rather than a leggy stem. It is a natural for a big pot, so it earns a place among our plants for pots and containers and our architectural foliage. Its love of a shadier spot makes it one of the better big-leaved choices for shade, and out on the summer patio it brings instant drama to an exotic border display.
Explore the rest of our hardy and tender exotics to build a bold, leafy scheme. Every Sparmannia we send out is nursery-grown, chosen for a strong root system and healthy, well-furnished growth, and carefully packed to arrive in top condition.
Live Arrival Guarantee
All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.
Ordering in autumn or winter? Many hardy exotics arrive dormant or cut back right now. This is normal, and the best time to plant.
Seasonal by nature: what to expect
Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.
Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal.
Read what to expect through the seasons
Delivery and returns
See all delivery pricing tiers
Based on your basket total, confirmed at checkout. Free delivery: Economy over £60 · Standard over £100 · Express over £150.
Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.
Outdoor plants are sold by the size of their pot — measured in litres, with the pot diameter in cm.
A larger pot means a more established plant for quicker impact in the garden; a smaller pot is better value and
soon catches up once planted out.
9cm · 0.5L
Young plant
A young, vigorous plant and the most economical way to build up a planting. Give it a season or two and it will romp away.
~13cm · 1L
Starter
A well-rooted young plant, ready to grow on in a border or container. Great value for filling space over a season or two.
~15cm · 2L
Established
A bushier, more established plant with a developed root system — a dependable middle ground that suits most gardens.
~17cm · 3L
Garden ready
A strong, garden-ready plant that establishes quickly and makes a visible difference in its very first season.
~19cm · 5L
Instant impact
A larger, fuller specimen for immediate presence — ideal when you want the planted look straight away.
21cm+ · 7.5L+
Specimen
A mature, substantial specimen — the quickest route to an established, fully planted-up feel.
Pots that fit this plant
We recommend
How to care for African Hemp (House Lime)
Plant me in full sun and bring me under cover before the frosts.
In their words
What our customers say
EP
Emily P.
Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.
JR
James R.
Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.
SL
Sophie L.
Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.
Get to know me
About African Hemp (House Lime)
Sparmannia africana needs full sun or partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is frost tender and must come under cover for winter.
tender (H1C). Protect from frost, overwinter under cover, and keep just short of dry over winter.
Position
Full sunPartial shadeEast-facingSouth-facingSheltered
bright light with a little shade. Dappled or part shade outdoors, or bright indirect light indoors, keeps the large leaves at their best and stops them scorching.
Soil
ChalkClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH
any fertile, free-draining potting mix, ideally loam-based with added grit or bark. A hungry, fast grower that likes regular feeding and potting on.
Watering
Keep the compost evenly moist from spring to autumn while it is in active growth, never waterlogged, and ease right off over winter so it is just short of dry between waterings. Feed fortnightly through spring and summer, pot on each spring, and cut the plant back after flowering to keep it bushy and within bounds.Read moreShow less
Keep the compost evenly moist from spring to autumn while it is in active growth, never waterlogged, and ease right off over winter so it is just short of dry between waterings. Feed fortnightly through spring and summer, pot on each spring, and cut the plant back after flowering to keep it bushy and within bounds.
Mature size
Height4-8 m (far less in a pot)
Spread2.5-4 m
Reaches full size in 10-20 years
Growth habit
Bushy
Flowering
JFMAMJJASOND
Feb-May · White
Seasonal colour
SpringSummerAutumnWinterFlowerFoliageBerriesStem
Foliage
Evergreen (stays evergreen only when kept frost-free over winter)
Pruning
Fast-growing and best kept in check. After flowering, or in spring, cut it back hard and pinch the new shoots to keep it dense, bushy and compact rather than tall and leggy. Remove any frost-damaged or tired growth whenever you see it, and pot on at the same time to keep the leaves lush.
Toxicity
The leaves and stems are covered in fine bristly hairs that can cause mild, short-lived skin irritation in people and pets. Wear gloves when pruning or repotting. Not known to be seriously toxic if eaten, but it is not grown for consumption.
Native range
South Africa
Family
Malvaceae
Also known as
Sparmannia africana
Genus
Sparmannia
Good to know
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sparmannia africana hardy in the UK?
No. Sparmannia africana is tender, rated RHS H1C, so it is not a hardy garden shrub. It needs a frost-free winter and is best grown as a conservatory, greenhouse or bright houseplant that spends the summer outdoors on a sheltered patio and comes back under cover before the first frosts. Keep it above roughly 5 to 7C. A light frost may only nip the top growth, which often reshoots, but a hard freeze will kill an unprotected plant. See our hardy exotics what to expect guide for more on growing tender exotics through the seasons.
How do you prune Sparmannia africana?
It is a fast, vigorous grower, so regular pruning keeps it looking its best. Cut it back hard after flowering, or in spring, and pinch out the new shoots to encourage a dense, bushy shape rather than a tall, leggy stem. This is also the ideal moment to pot it on. Cutting back in spring gives it plenty of time to reshoot and flower again the following year.
Is Sparmannia africana poisonous?
It is not considered seriously toxic, but the leaves and stems are covered in fine bristly hairs that can cause mild, short-lived skin irritation in people and pets, so it is worth wearing gloves when pruning or repotting. It is grown as an ornamental foliage plant and is not intended for eating.
How big does Sparmannia africana grow?
Left unchecked in a large conservatory it can reach 4 to 8 m, and it grows quickly, but in a pot it is easily kept to a compact, bushy 1.5 to 3 m with an annual cut back. Growing it in a container and pruning each spring is the simplest way to control its size, which makes it a natural for our plants for pots and containers.
Does Sparmannia africana prefer sun or shade?
It likes bright light with a little shade. Dappled or part shade outdoors, or bright indirect light indoors, keeps the large soft leaves lush and stops them scorching. It will take some gentle sun, especially morning sun, but harsh midday summer sun through glass can bleach the foliage. That preference makes it one of the better big-leaved choices for planting in shade.
Can I grow Sparmannia africana indoors?
Yes. In the UK it is at its happiest as a conservatory, greenhouse or bright houseplant, and it is one of the classic large-leaved indoor exotics. Give it a bright spot out of harsh direct sun, keep it evenly moist in the growing season and feed it well. In summer it enjoys a spell outdoors on a sheltered patio. Its bold foliage sits right at home in our architectural foliage collection.
Are your plants treated with pesticides?
We aim to avoid using pesticides where possible, but we can't control the whole supply chain.
If the plant is going into a vivarium, terrarium or aquarium with live animals, rinse the leaves and roots well, remove any soil and let the plant dry out before adding it. We'd also suggest keeping it away from animals for a month first.
Can I see a photo of the exact plant I'll receive?
We're not able to send photos of individual plants or let you choose a specific one, as plants are selected by our team when your order is packed. Our photos show the variety and the kind of plant you can expect, and yours may vary a little in height, shape or fullness.
If a size has a code next to it, such as 9cm / B2, you're buying the exact plant pictured.
Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.
It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.
If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.
If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.
That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.
Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.
When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.
We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.
Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.
It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.
Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.
Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.
During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.
That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 7 days with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.
The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.
Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.
Perfect for Gifting
From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.
Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.
Sustainability at Heart
All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.
