Newcomers to Your Neighbourhood
Published on
17 Apr 2022
Published by
National Parks Board
Want to add a pop of colour to your surroundings or attract butterflies to the neighbourhood?
Here are five plants suitable for roadside verges, balcony gardens and allotment plots that will brighten up any green space and attract biodiversity to your neighbourhood.
Whether you have a balcony garden or an allotment plot, add some colour to your garden with our suggestions.
Rain Lily
Native to certain South American countries like Colombia and Peru, the Rain Lily (Zephyranthes rosea) is an attractive plant you can now grow right at your doorstep!
While its leaves are flat and liner, grassy in nature, its produces flower stems that bears pretty pink flowers. Requiring full sun or semi-shaded conditions as well as moderate watering, the plants is easy to grow in well-drained soils. It is propagated by seeds.
Segan
The Segan (Portulaca oleracea) is a shrub that has fleshy obovate leaves with smooth, reddish edges. Each leaf tip is broad and rounded. Its stem is also reddish with soft, white hairs. It produces small, cup-shaped flowers composed for five translucent yellow petals. Each flower has six to 10 stamens which are also bright yellow.
The plant grows well with full sun and requires little water. It can be propagated by seed or stem cutting. Requiring a moderate level of maintenance, the plant grows quickly and is suitable for use in rockery or desert gardens.
Alternanthera cultivars
Alternanthera cultivars are a good example of an ornamental foliage that provides colour to the usual greenery and draws people’s attention to your garden. From the family Amaranthaceae, these shrubs require full sun to semi-shade and moderate water.
Depending on its cultivar, the plant may have red-coppery-green leaves to green-yellow curly leaves. This adds both texture and visual interest to any garden.
Egyption Star Cluster
With its dark green and deeply veined leaves and deep red star-shaped, five-petalled flowers, the Egyptian Star Cluster (Pentas lanceolata) is a biodiversity-attracting option, providing nectar for butterflies.
Easy to grow, it should be planted in fertile, well-drained soil that is enriched with compost and organic matter to retain moisture in the soil. The plant is heat tolerate and can propagate by seeds. It flowers bloom best when grown in full sun but the plant can also flower in the shade.
Golden Dewdrop
The Golden Dewdrop (Duranta erecta) has light purple, tubular flowers that are arranged in clusters known as racemes that grow up to 15 cm long. They also attract butterflies.
Although this large evergreen shrub grows best in full sun, it is also tolerant of semi-shade conditions. It requires moderate water and can be propagated by seed or stem cuttings. This species flowers continuously throughout the year, keeping your garden colourful and pretty at all times.
Gardeners’ Day Out
Participate from the comfort of your home with online activities such as talks and demonstrations, video tutorials of activities and promotions offered. Enjoy Gardeners’ Day Out online at www.nparks.gov.sg/GDO.
You can also enjoy videos of our Gardening With Edibles Masterclass Series. They are conducted by NParks horticulturists, focusing on unique and challenging edibles across different plant families.
Living in a City in Nature
The City in Nature vision seeks to bring greenery closer to all residents. The community plays a key role in the ownership and stewardship for nature which will benefit our health and well-being.
If you are a gardening newbie, visit NParksSG, our refreshed YouTube Channel that serves as a one-stop repository for close to 300 video resources. It covers topics ranging from types of soil needed for your garden and how to plant, harvest and even cook your edibles.
For additional information, check out our list of Gardening Resources. For more information about the flora and fauna found in Singapore, please visit Flora and Fauna Web.
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Text by Jacqueline Chua and Hong Zhongzhi
Source: National Parks Board. Reproduced with permission.
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