“Even though the Dry Garden is never watered and all the plants have evolved to grow in arid conditions, it still needs a top-up of rain every so often for the plants to really thrive,” RHS Garden Hyde Hall curator, Robert Brett commented. “We’re thrilled by the flowering of the Dasylirion as it’s not often seen in the UK, so we hope people will come and see it as an example of what it’s possible to grow in some of the most extreme weather conditions we see in this country.”
Meanwhile, at Wisley in Surrey, a 30-year-old royal agave (Agave victoriae-reginae) has flowered for the first time, along with two Furcraea parmentieri and an Agave parrasana, which are all more often grown under glass in the UK.
The Mexican plants, which are located at the garden entrance and on the terraces surrounding Wisley’s Glasshouse, have been happy to lap up the sunshine in the heatwave sweeping the country. The soaring temperatures in late spring and early summer have also prompted a growth spurt for tree lilies in the Exotic Garden.