China

A very charming lithophyte from our collection in China where it clad the upper portion of an appliance-sized boulder in the shade of an open broadleaf evergreen forest. This evergreen to semi-evergreen fern has leaflets so soft they rival the downy belly of a baby chinchilla - pure conjecture but accurate. There was heavy usage from grazing in the area this was found and there were examples of Lithocarpus being felled by keeping a fire burning at the base of the trees. The grazing benefited Rhododendron spinuliferum however, which turned these gangly shrubs into perfect dense, upright specimens that Peter Cox said were the best he had ever seen.

Our collection of this large species from Fanjinshan in China where we saw it growing in the open with mixed scrub. This was a leafless 10' rounded open shrub with seed capsules at the ends of the branches. We have not yet flowered this but Flora of China has this as the only species that grows in this area so that works for us. Expect white flowers tinged pink aging to red or some variation thereof and being fairly profuse in May. May is always a safe month to say when you have not flowered something. Gives you a little wiggle room. If you've got the room in a naturalistic wild garden or want something big summer screening, this could be the ticket. This would be excellent backing for tall Joe Pye Weed for example. Aside from appealing to hummingbirds with its broadly tubular flowers, this is the type of shrub that is begging to be nested in. Good branch angles, nice shell of exterior concealing foliage and relatively open interior. Channeling my inner bird.

This from an unforgettable visit to Aberconwy Nursery in Wales, exceptional alpine plant growers. A tender African violet relative, this makes dense rosettes of spirally arranged rugose leaves - the perfect backing for the white flowers! A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Introduction.

Bold gray-green foliaged Chinese Salvia collected by plantswoman June Sinclair. Deciduous species and tough as nails. Multiple arms of flowering stems splay out from the leafy crown bearing many rich purple tubular pouchy flowers. This has been a trooper in our garden. We previously offered this as S. bulleyana but are refining our best guesses. Oh to have more time with a hand lens and the Flora of China.

One of the most sophisticated ornamental small trees and a well-grown mature plant is without rival. Broad spreading branches in well-spaced layers superbly display the foliage and lacy white flowers in May which are followed by bird-yummy black fruit. No anthracnose issues which so afflicts our native Cornus nuttallii. These are young plants on their own roots and not grafted. When we think of this tree, we cannot help but think of John Massey's private garden at Ashwood Nursery in England where this perfectly sited and impeccably grown tree stands at the focal nexus of garden magic.

One of the jewels in the tiara of shade garden royalty which is supposed to sound aristocratic and appealing and I believe it does. Put this little Chinese gem in a special spot where you can enjoy the white flowers over the patterned foliage. This would likely thrive in a moist rotting stump. Found up to 12000' in alpine meadows, we've also seen a tiny form in forests in Chongqing. These are from our own divisions.

Our collection from Guangxi on a mountain area little explored by Westerners. This Mondo Grass had leaves to 2' long and fairly lax. Flower stems just 3" tall with surprisingly nice mauve flowers that give way to typical shiny Ophiopogon fruit in the fall. Excellent textural evergreen for shade with a bonus of good flowers. Just a few. A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering

Silver Cloak Fern. At home over a broad stretch of Asia from Vietnam up to Siberia where it favors growing on rocks or walls in degraded - some say rotted - moss and organic matter. A low growing evergreen fern with startling white undersides to the leaves. Low water requirements once established. Most folks say zone 5 but we'll say 6.

A silver-patterned selection of this durable garden species of Jack in the Pulpit. A silver wash plays along the midrib of each leaflet spoke in the radial foliar wheel which makes this exotic leaf even more exotic. Green flowers with a long drip tip on the spathe limb cap turn into fruit like an orange ear of corn and you are on your way to lots more.

Interesting genus in the Bellflower or Campanula family and we try to grow as many different ones as possible. Just how long can we last growing unprofitable plants is a question we ponder. This is one of the better ones for the garden making perennial carrot roots and annual vines to 4' with tubby cream flowers with purple corolla lips. Z5 at least.

Very hardy Jack in the Pulpit which is the Asian equivalent of our eastern US Arisaema triphyllum. This Jack is native to the Russian Far East, northern China and Korea and is a variable species but always has green flowers with stripes that are usually white but can be sort of a chocolate purple. Good bulb for light shade to morning sun. We sold this for some years as triphyllum ssp. pusillum before being enlightened that it is the closely related Arisaema amurense. Similar but different. An easy Jack in the Pulpit increasing nicely my offsets. Good moist soil.

Uncommon species which has proven durable in containers and in the garden where it handled a nasty 12F winter with equanimity. Pink-backed white flowers followed by red fruit on stiffly upright stems. From Erlangshan in Sichuan growing with the rare Epimedium flavum on a slope with Cardiocrinum in the wet thicket behind.

Higher elevation Chinese species favoring a moist and rich with compost spot in part sun. This has long been a favorite species of ours with its pendant rose-purple flowers held on long pedicels heavily coated in white mealy farina and carried aloft on tall stems up to 2 to 3 feet. Sue grew this in northern VT.

Exquisite woodlander from China that can reach 3' in height with well branched stems with dangling red flowers. This is far showier than the typical green flowered forms more commonly found. Not that they are all that common. Good rich humusy soil that retains moisture.

Excellent little Asian Allium that is very nice with small heads of white flowers. Perfect for the rock garden or does great in regular garden beds as it does appreciate some moisture during the summer. Sun and decent drainage and thrives in one customers garden in Michigan. Tidy and of good disposition and certainly not a garden thug.

A candelabra type which we found growing in a high boggy meadow in Sichuan in October 2012 where it mingled with other Primula species, Gentiana sino-ornata in bloom and hummocks of dwarf Rhododendron. This had small seed capsules with short pedicels closely set in whorls on the scape reminiscent of Primula wilsonii. We have now flowered here at the nursery and see that it is a good form of Primula poissonii with large magenta flowers in tiers on the tall stems. We had previously offered this as a candelabra Primula species. Fairly sun tolerant if given ample moisture or tolerant of what passes for sun here in the maritime Northwest.

Chinese version of our East Coast Diphylleia cymosa. If you are into herbaceous Berberidaceae, right - that is all of you so of course this is a must-have! White flowers and blue fruit on red pedicels about rounded scalloped foliage. Some have this merged into Podophyllum. We don't. Divisions from our own plants.

A very good form of the species collected by Dan Hinkley in China. All parts - leaves, scape or flower stem, flowers - larger than typically found in the species at least when compared to the 8 or 9 clones we grow. Fresh grass green leaves are marked in silver and the up to 20" + flower stems bears a snowstorm of simple white flowers with their diagnostic longer lower two petals which places this species in Section Irregulares. This will thrive in the moist shade garden but prefers light to bright shade.

Roof Iris. These are seed-grown from our plant from an Eric Hammond collection in China. This species actually does grow on thatched roofs in Japan and China and is quite easily grown in the garden Large, 5-6 inch lilac-blue flowers are very nice on stems to perhaps 18" tall. Happy in zones 4-9, this is easy but watch for slugs on the new growth as these might attest.

Yes indeed it is a hardy Begonia. Hardy if you plant it in the ground - it won't be happy with you if you let it freeze it in its pot. Good soil that retains moisture in shade to filtered light and everyone will be happy. Dormant in winter and coming back from tubers in early summer.