Before roses and rhododendrons, London’s gardens were home to wild shrubs like gorse, spindle, and deadly nightshade—each with a story to tell. Discover how these ancient plants shaped history, from Plantagenet emblems to Tudor remedies. Why was spindle wood feared as a plague omen? How did a humble shrub become a king’s cure for gluttony?
It is only wild shrubs that would have graced London’s gardens in the distant past before all the modern ones arrived. These wild ones would have been gorse, spindle, wayfaring tree and guelder rose mainly. Less noticeable species, such as the buckthorns and dogwoods, were probably only seen on the downs. Spindle Euonymus europaeus has small, easily missed green flowers. It gets its name from Euonyme, the mother of the Furies. The flowers were unfortunately associated with the advent of the plague. Its wood was not only used to make spindles but also toothpicks and bird cages. The Wayfaring tree Viburnum lantana can flower in other months but is usually at its best now.
It was common on downland drove roads, where its leaves were collected to make a black dye. It has creamy flowers that smell of lilies to some and are sickly-scented to others. A small wild shrub, petty whin, Genista anglica is found on our wilder heaths, unlike most of our other shrubs which tend to be on downs. Petty whin was used to make brooms, but also has a more illustrious history. This is the ‘planta genista’ which was the emblem of the Plantaganets. It was thought to signify humility. Henry VIII is said to have drunk a tea made from its flowers to relieve his over-eating.
In parks and rough ground the sinister purple flowers of deadly nightshade Atropa belladonna are also starting to appear. The rather more exotic alien, Bladder senna, Colutea arborescens turns up in similar situations. Unlike most other plants in London, it has a predominantly central distribution where it stands out with its peculiar bladder-like fruits on waste ground. Another well-known alien, Rhododendron ponticum continues to rampage through our woodland. This is an aggressive invader which at this time of year has the slight attraction of large bunches of pale mauve flowers.
Varieties of this species found in gardens can be white, pink, deep purple or even blue. Unfortunately, in acid woodland it sows itself with consummate ease, producing dense thickets which then go on to eradicate any herb layer. It arrived in 1763 from the shores of the Black Sea and with such ready growth and large flowers soon became a Georgian favourite. Then it escaped over the fence into woodlands and railway embankments, and is now covering whole hillsides in Surrey. Being tough as old boots, it continues to be used as a rootstock for more desirable garden rhododendrons.
It is now rhododendron and azalea time, although there are also many other shrubs coming into flower. Some of the early shrubs with short flowering periods are now going over e.g. Forsythia, Corylopris, Kerria and Amelanchier. Others just have long flowering periods or have late varieties such as Berberis, Viburnum, Chaenomeles, Daphne, Cytisus, Spiraea, Ceonothus, Camelia, Rosa, Skimmia, Choisya, Osmanthus, Pieris, Rubus and Prunus.
Shrubs more typically associated with May are Syringa (Lilac), Weigela, Deutzia, Cistus, Cytisus, Genista, Medicago and Coronilla. Less noticeable flowering shrubs at this time include Fothergilla, Vaccinium, Euphorbia and Symphoriocarpus. Shrubby climbers are also very much a feature of the month, most noticeably Wisteria, Solanum, Jasminum, Clematis, Fremontodendron (Californian Glory) and Lonicera. Less common, but easily enough seen at Kew and Wisley, are Akebia quinata, Holboellia coriacea and Dipelta ventricosa. Other noteworthy shrubs worth looking for in collections are Exochorda, Enkianthus, Coleonema, Gaulteria, Lindera, Punica (pomegranate) and the marvellously scented Pittosporum. Rarities at Kew include Sophora davidii, Hebe x fairfieldii and Parrotiopsis jacquemontiana.
Fine collections of rhododendrons and azaleas are quite common in London and a small but varied collection of lilacs can be seen at Kew. Lilac is another of those flowers people in the past were reticent to bring indoors. Introduced into Tudor gardens, lilac was used to line coffins and it was noticed that bees didn’t seem to like the flowers. Some of the more unusual lilacs don’t carry its famous scent. It may take many years to get to know London’s shrubs. Good places to start other than Kew and Wisley are London’s parks e.g. Ranelagh Gardens, Richmond Park (Isabella plantation), Holland Park, Cannizaro Park, Golders Hill Park and West Ham Park.
