Solanum crispum 'Glasnevin'

The Chilean potato vine, Solanum crispum, is just the thing to give a sunny wall an exotic look. It has wiry stems, which need tying up to wires or trellis for support, clad in small semi-evergreen leaves which remain on the plant in all but bad winters. The potato-like flowers, each with lilac petals around a pointed yellow centre, appear continuously from mid-summer to mid-autumn.

Solanum crispum 'Glasnevin' flowers more prolifically, and is hardier than other species. Grow in moist but well-drained soil. To propagate, take cuttings from summer to early autumn. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it its prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM).