Holboellia coriacea "Trehane form"

A vigorous hardy evergreen climber with highly scented flowers in spring. Male flowers are greenish and  Female purple pink in separate bunches (these often occur towards the end of flowering). Sometimes produces fleshy fruits containing many black seeds after mild springs and hot summers, especially where a second unrelated plant is near by.  When you do get fruit they are spectacular in late autumn when they ripen being 10-15cm long and purple red in colour, they are edible but I have to say I found the ripe fruit rather bland but pleasantly sweet. My plant came as a cutting from the great plant on the Queen Ann mansion at Trehane where it has survived for a great number of years, it differs from the other forms we have in having its flowers in bigger bunches of smaller male flowers and is more free flowering, leaves are rounder in shape. In cold parts the flowers can be frosted off so wall protection is advised, although the plants are perfectly hardy for growing outdoors. A pot full of this in a conservatory will fill the space with scent. Introduced by Ernest Wilson in 1907 from central china.