Disporum cantoniense Night Heron

Disporum cantonense Night Heron, sometimes called D. longistylum Night Heron, is a particularly striking cultivar derived from a Chinese perennial called Fairy Bells. The plant is distinguished by its very dark young shoots and leaves, which create a beautiful contrast with its spring flowers in pendulous bell-shaped clusters, ranging from yellow-green to lime-green in colour. This foliage slowly turns green in summer, often persists in winter, and then becomes adorned with small, highly decorative berries that are very dark blue-black. Disporums are cultivated in humus-rich and consistently moist, yet well-drained soil.  They pair well with acid-loving plants and can also be grown in containers on a shaded patio or balcony.

Disporum cantonense Night Heron belongs to the Colchicaceae family and is a relative of Solomon's Seals. Its presumed ancestor, the Canton Disporum, is native to Chinese forests, Taiwan, India, Laos, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam, where it is found growing at altitudes between 700 and 3,000 m (766 and 3281 yards).  It is a perennial plant with a creeping rhizome that spreads over time without becoming invasive. According to experts, the 'Night Heron' cultivar does not possess the characteristics of its supposed parent, but rather those of its close relative, D. longistylum.

This evergreen plant can withstand temperatures as low as -12°C (10.4°F) and produces quite spectacular young shoots that are dark brown-purple, almost black in colour. They grow into upright and trailing, branching stems that form a dense clump, reaching 80 cm (32in) to 1.20 m (4ft) in height depending on the plant's age and soil conditions. The young stems and leaves are also very dark in colour. The foliage consists of alternate leaves, measuring 5 to 12 cm (2 to 5in) long and 3 to 5 cm (1 to 2in) wide, strongly lanceolate, elongated, with distinct parallel veins. The shiny lamina slowly transitions from dark brown-purple to olive green and then to a darker shade of green. The flowering occurs in May-June, with slightly open tubular flowers measuring 1 to 2 cm (1in) long, pale yellow tinged with green, arranged in pendulous clusters of 3 to 10 units, appearing at the terminal part of the stems or in the axils of the leaves. It is followed by spherical dark blue-black fruits, measuring 8 to 10 mm (1in) in diameter. 

Disporum Night Heron will thrive in the coolest areas of the garden, bringing an exotic, colourful, and graceful touch. It can be easily grown in containers, allowing it to be paired with larger plants on the terrace that will provide the shade it seeks. This plant requires little care and tolerates competition from the roots of trees and shrubs but cannot tolerate any drought. It can be planted in understory planting or dappled sunlight (introduce multiple plants in a small area), to accompany the spring blooms of Magnolias, Rhododendrons, Pieris, camellias, and other hydrangeas. In these flower beds at the base of shrubs, for example, pair it with Anemone 'Robinsoniana', hosta Jurassic Park, or Boehmeria cylindrica. Superb in a flowering pot, combine it with blue scillas, and place it under Fatsias, Papyrus, Colocasia...