{"product_id":"sparmannia-africana","title":"Sparmannia africana","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSparmannia africana\u003c\/strong\u003e, also spelled \u003cstrong\u003eSparrmannia africana\u003c\/strong\u003e and known as \u003cstrong\u003eAfrican Hemp\u003c\/strong\u003e or the \u003cstrong\u003eHouse Lime\u003c\/strong\u003e, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is important to be honest about hardiness. Native to the woodlands of South Africa, \u003cstrong\u003eSparmannia africana\u003c\/strong\u003e is tender, rated \u003cstrong\u003eRHS H1C\u003c\/strong\u003e, 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 \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/hardy-exotics-what-to-expect\"\u003ewhat to expect\u003c\/a\u003e guide.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow and where to grow\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePosition:\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e fast to 2 to 4 m if left unchecked, and much more in a large conservatory, but easily kept compact and bushy in a pot with a spring cut back.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHardiness:\u003c\/strong\u003e tender (H1C). Protect from frost, overwinter under cover, and keep just short of dry over winter.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eBecause it grows so freely, \u003cstrong\u003eAfrican Hemp\u003c\/strong\u003e 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 \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/plants-for-pots\"\u003eplants for pots and containers\u003c\/a\u003e and our \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/architectural-foliage\"\u003earchitectural foliage\u003c\/a\u003e. Its love of a shadier spot makes it one of the better big-leaved choices for \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/plants-for-shade\"\u003eshade\u003c\/a\u003e, and out on the summer patio it brings instant drama to an \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/exotic-border-plants\"\u003eexotic border\u003c\/a\u003e display.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExplore the rest of our \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/hardy-exotics\"\u003ehardy and tender exotics\u003c\/a\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"GROW TROPICALS","offers":[{"title":"17cm \/ 2L","offer_id":58063992324479,"sku":"SPARMAFRI17","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0361\/9645\/0348\/files\/sparmannia.jpg?v=1785411997","url":"https:\/\/growtropicals.com\/products\/sparmannia-africana","provider":"GrowTropicals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}