Tomato breeders eat your heart out; a naturally occurring square flower.

Philadelphus schrenkii a native to Eastern and Northern Asia is flowering profusely in the Biodiversity Garden.

Vigorous deciduous shrubs, the flowers, with a nutty fragrance, are carried in racemes developing on short shoots from the previous season’s wood. Naturally the four petalled flowers hang down in bell formation. As the flowers age these petals splay open to a flat plane giving the impression of a square. Planted as a group in the garden these, once established, will rapidly reach two metres in height and spread.

Philadelphus schrenkii. Photo by Tony Garn

Philadelphus schrenkii

Philadelphus schrenkii. Photo by Tony Garn

Philadelphus schrenkii

Philadelphus schrenkii. Photo by Tony Garn

Philadelphus schrenkii