Q&A with Glenys Woollard - Gardening

Do sugar maples grow in New Zealand?

Yes, although they are best suited to colder parts of the country. The trees grow to 33m with a spread of 24m, so not one for the smaller garden. In North America, sugar maples can take 40 years before they can be tapped - and then it takes 30 litres of sap to make just one litre of syrup. But they do put on a magnificent autumn display.

Could you tell me more about a plant named Brunfelsia?

Also known as "Yesterday, today and tomorrow", this semi-evergreen shrub grows to about 1.2m, and is covered with attractive but slowly-fading purple flowers from late spring into summer. There's also a white-flowered cultivar. Both versions are best grown in sunny spots sheltered from frost and with plenty of moisture in the growing season (now, in other words). Brunfelsia belongs to the same family as nightshade, and both the plant and its seeds are poisonous.