A good plant to gift for a November birthday?

[witchhazelblue]

It's my Mum's birthday next month and recently she was complaining that nobody ever buys her plants for her birthday because it's the wrong time of year. So now I'm on the hunt for something (ideally flowering but looking pretty at least) I can give her for her late November birthday that she can enjoy straight away rather than having to wait for Spring/summer months.

She lives in a high level flat with a North-West facing balcony that is partially exposed, so all her plants are in pots. At the moment she's got a few Acers, lavenders, crocosmias, foxgloves, that kind of thing, and they all do well.

Can anyone suggest a plant I could buy her? Sadly I'm not as green fingered as she is so no idea!

What about a winter clematis, clematis cirrhosa? 'Freckles' is pink, or 'Wisley Cream' is, er, cream. They flower from Novemberish and I have one that is doing quite well in a pot at present!

Thanks holly, a nice idea but she doesn't have anywhere suitable for a climbing plant to grow so think a clematis wouldn't work

This might not be suitable, but you can just put canes in a pot and have the climber grow up them.. like this

(But with a much bigger pot)

How about a pot of winter pansies. They last right through to Spring

How about a hellebore? there are different colours from white through pink to dark purple not quite in flower yet, but you could add some cyclamen in the same pot for immediate impact. In garden centres and nurseries, there are winter tubs planted up, so maybe worth a look :)

Maybe an azalea?

I say hellebore. I love em

If you're still looking OP -I'd recommend Sarcoccoca confusa (sweet box) as it is evergreen, has scented flowers which bloom in winter and can be grown in a pot.