Hoheria glabrata Sprague & Summerh. x H. sexstylosa Colenso

The five species of the genus Hoheria are all endemic to New Zealand. The ‘Glory of Amlwch is a hybrid between two of the five species. It was found in a garden in Amlwch, Anglesey, Wales, some time before 1948. It flowers most prolifically in late summer, typically shedding a snow-like covering of petals on the ground under the tree. The narrow, glossy leaves are up to 4 inches (10cm) long and can remain on the tree over the winter. It is fairly hardy, but some branches of the Belfast Botanic Gardens tree were killed in the severe winter of 2010/11. It prefers alkaline to neutral soils and tends to grow as a multi-stem shrub but can form a small tree. RHS Award of Merit 1960.

Photos taken in Belfast Botanic Gardens in 2013. Copyright: Friends of Belfast Botanic Gardens.