In a mild winter such as this one the Polyspora spp. are the standout plants in the woodland during January. This image is of P. longicarpa which originates from Vietnam and is now large enough to make a real impact from a distance. Best grown in full sun in Cornwall with shelter from prevailing westerly winds where the display can be spectacular. There are also a couple of older trees from Yunnan in China at Tregrehan growing in more shade where the bud set isn’t as prolific, and these have even larger flowers at least as large as a decent fried egg. These first plantings were originally put in the mildest parts of the garden where I thought they had the best chance of surviving. But none have been lost to cold in 25 years and if there is a freezing spell the open flowers behave themselves by dropping cleanly. And as there is a succession of buds, (which is illustrated in this image), the display is soon cranked up again. The whole uplifting show lasts for well over a month in the gloomiest part of the year. There is a faint pollen scent to the flowers on a warm sunny day which attracts early pollinators. In the mid elevation evergreen forests of SE Asia these trees can grow large and form canopies in the wetter valleys, an amazing sight not to be forgotten in the late autumn/early winter.