Intense and heavily sweet, the fragrance from the coral white flowers hanging hidden within the climbing canopy of Schisandra grandiflora is overpowering. In bud the dangling spheres are a peach colour and open to reveal a cone of waxy flower parts. A vigorous deciduous climber native to the Himalayas and western China. The seed to grow this plant on the west wall of the east gate lodge was collected in Nepal at 2790 metres from a plant growing in Quercus semecarpifolia forest. Twining to gain height over the woody flora it can reach to 7 metres. The leaves are prominently marked with red veins.

Schisandra grandiflora