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Chatham island endemic, arborescent, Ericaceae. For those who haven't already slammed the add to cart button, these are found only on one small New Zealand coastal island group and boast extremely unique juvenile foliage comparable only to the supreme Dragon Blood Tree (Dracaena draco) from South Africa, thus the heavy metal dragon-leaf name. These spiky tufty columns of leaves eventually develop into trees with a sprawling wind-blown habit and a plethora of blade-like leaves. These are cutting-grown from wild collections made for the Pacific Connections garden project at the Washington Arb. Grows in rich peat or bog areas in habitat so something acidic, loamy and consistently moist should suit it just fine.

Blessed be the zone-pushers who find the members of groups generally thought to be unavailable to those not in the tropics which can manage in our temperate world. Drynaria, or basket ferns are a fascinating group that produces dry, skeletal basal fronds which are designed to collect detritus. This offers them enhanced nutrition usually provided by soil contact, which they often don't have as they grow on tree trunks or rock faces. Unfortunately this can usually only be observed in glasshouses leaving many plant-lovers and even fern fanatics unaware of its wonder. No longer we say! This Chinese species is surely among the hardiest of the genus, with proven survival in the UK and North Carolina. The closest thing you will get to a hardy staghorn, and certainly something you won't find in a friend's garden.

Our collection from Vietnam of this fascinating epiphytic genus.  This was growing on a tree trunk on a small limestone ridge populated by a mix of frost-tolerant and frost-intolerant species.  The hardiness of this remains to be tested here - maybe a warm zone 8b? - it made it through the admittedly mild first winter here so at least some frost hardiness.  Excellent drainage is likely key to improved hardiness and ours is in a tufa wall.  Spreads by creeping rhizomes and has dimorphic leaves with persistent basal fronds and fertile foliage fronds though only the latter have been produced on ours thus far.

Even among the fern-enthused Dryopteris can sometimes have a bad reputation for same-iness. However if there is one stand-out member this is the one, looking totally unlike what you expect from the genus and rivalling even the tropical ferns of your dreams. Thick blue-green dactyloid fronds that will slowly spready but never truly become dense, making it a great accent plant to thread through your woodland stand-bys. Shockingly hardy down to Zone 6b and evergreen above 5F.

When ethnobotanical and ornamental interest collide it's always a plant worth investing in, and this one hits high marks in both categories. The common name paperbush refers to the use of the plant in making paper, notably that used in Japanese banknotes. Meanwhile the specific epithet of chrysantha foreshadows the unique clusters of early-blooming tubular yellow flowers with an incredible scent. Add to that the gently arching candelabra-like form and I can't see why this isn't in every garden possible. 

Chilean Fire Tree. One of the most dramatic plants for our area. This requires our cool and moderate climate where it can become a 20' + narrow deciduous tree that is usually multi-trunked. In late May and June, this is a tower of blazing red-orange tubular flowers and you will get little else done other than answering questions from the neighbors about just what is that tree and eventually there will be strangers knocking on your door inquiring and if you plant a grove then there is the inevitable issue of tour buses with which to contend. Best protected from freezing winds, ours is fully exposed to such but we wrapped the trunk the first few years when we dropped into the teens but now we just give it tough love and do nothing. Being in the Proteaceae, they don't enjoy phosphorous so be careful what you fertilize them with - it is the P in the NPK ratio to which they are allergic. Rather than think too hard on it, we just ladle some dairy manure around our plants in early spring.

Miniature Joint Fir. Choice species from the bleak areas of the "stans" - Afghan, Uzbek, Kazak, Krygh, Paki and Tajikistan. This primitive Conifer relative likes it rough - just good drainage and a hot, sunny dry spot are it's simple wants although it does enjoy the good life and wouldn't turn down a wee drink and a bit to eat. It has been quite adaptable to our regular irrigation in the nursery. In the garden this will slowly creep with more leafless thin green stems which look like a miniature Equisetum until they become bejeweled with red fruit-like cones in mid to late summer. Probably tolerant of more alkaline conditions as well. This does great in the Denver Botanic Garden.

An Arizona collection by FRBC board member Cody Hinchliff of this excellent and underutilized perennial. In exchange for a hot sunny spot and top-notch drainage you will receive plentiful returns in the form of deer-resistant drought-tolerant finely textured foliage with a crown of fiery red corollas. This collection is particularly late-flowering extending the season for both you and your local hummingbirds to a time not particularly known for such saturated blooms.  Not for those with wet summers.