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449 products
Oddity from the high alpine meadows of Tibet, China, Nepal and Bhutan which we have grown for a number of years. A tap-rooted species making clumps of narrow green leaves from which stems up to 2' arise in summer each bearing a single curious round head of closely packed small white flowers. A conversation starter for sure. This should be good to zone 5 given where it grows.
Our collection from Guizhou in an area famed for its vast diversity and density of Rhododendron species. It was really quite staggering to see the Rhododendrons dominate the landscape even in the fall when all was out of flower. This little Mondo Grass grew as part of the herbaceous understory and had narrow evergreen leaves to 6" with 8" flower stems bearing up to 7 glossy blue-black fruits. Part of our mission here at the nursery is to provide wild-sourced plants in genera that is confused taxonomically in hopes more light can be shed. A portion of the proceeds goes to the Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy.
A collection by our friend Daniel Winkler of this Tibetan alpine meadow and streamside species found growing up to nearly 15000' . Nodding pale yellow flowers on a tall stem stem held well above the foliage, this was once described as var. luna due to its moonlight yellow flowers. This has proved a durable species here at the nursery carrying on year after year while more effete species quietly slink into oblivion.
A tuberous species allied to Begonia taliense and differing mainly in the shallow lobes of the leaves. This is native to SW Sichuan and the Zhongdian Plateau in Yunnan. This has reasonable hardiness as it grows up to 2600 meters and is excellent in zone 8 gardens especially if you winter mulch. A low and densely clumping species with bright pink flowers late in summer.
Codonopsis are curious things. These are herbaceous vining relatives of Campanula or Bellflowers and seem an unlikely expression of such. From an almost bulbous root arises several tendril shoots which love to twine into surrounding shrubs from which to display their 2" dusky lavender star shaped flowers. Usually the foliage carries a musky scent but true confessions, we can't remember if this species does writing this as we are in the middle of winter. An unlikely armature for such improbable and lovely flowers. Many species of Codonopsis are dug in the wild as their roots are eaten although we wouldn't encourage you to try it. There's carrots in the market after all. These are young plants but should flower this year.
Climbing Monkshood. This is from our seed collection on the Chongqing-Guangxi-Guizhou expedition in 2010. We found this on the summit of the previously unbotanized highest peak in the Wumingshan where it was clambering about on the top of the short scrub. We were struck by the large seed pods. Light to mid-blue flowers on stems that can reach 10'-15' on this vining Monkshood. This a widespread and variable species in China one we find most appealing.
Seedlings from this very good named form of the very variable Anemone obtusiloba which ranges at higher altitudes across the Himalaya into western China. Our mama plant came home with us from Scotland and is notable for larger blue flowers with 3-4 extra petals beyond the usual 5. We expect these youngsters to carry on the family tradition. Starts flowering early in spring with main flush in late spring but sporadic bloom during summer. A small species suited to a larger trough, rock garden or special spot in light shade.
What madness possessed us to make this esoteric cross between the usual maroon flowered species and the white flowered form? Consequences of a very liberal drug and alcohol policy is perhaps the best guess. Unflowered seedlings which will be either typical maroon pleianthum, typical white pleianthum f. alba or shades in between. We can definitively say the flowers will not be blue.
Our collection from Asia from a mountain range little explored by westerners. One of the rhizomatous types allied to palmata which we expect will have hardiness down into zone 8 especially if mulched. Flowers are either pink or white - memory has failed but can say definitively they are not blue.
These are second generation plants from our original seed collection in Yunnan in 1997. Beautiful open airy deciduous shrubs with fabulous hanging racemes of lavender pea flowers like a miniature wisteria blossom. Good drainage and let it get dry late summer to promote hardiness.
Our collection from the Gang Ho Ba in Yunnan at around 10000' back in '97 during our first plant hunting trip to China. This was growing in open woodland up against a massive rock the size of a dump truck with Arisaema consanguineum, Paeonia delavayi, Primula forrestii and Dipelta yunnanensis as companions. The big pinnate leaves were impossible not to notice. This has tall stems 36"- 44" with nice layers of white flowers.
We have just a handful of this choice form of the species in which the pinnae are distinctly undulated adding yet another layer of tasteful complexity to a species already awash in attributes. It really isn't fair to be born with gorgeous 6'-7' fronds but do you have to flaunt undulation too? Well, yes.
A Shayne Chandler collection from China of this most attractive species which has proven hardy in his garden as well as the equally mild garden at Heronswood both which are zone 8b. Lovely deeply lobed leaves liberally spotted in white and the late season pink flowers play well with the foliage. Mulch in winter zones 8a-7b and in colder areas, deeper mulch and using your microclimate siting to the max is advised until the hardiness limits of this species are better understood.
From a Chinese source as Anemone subpinnata, this is likely obtusiloba although there are other similar species. This has proved very floriferous and durable over the years making a good robust clump with lots of white flowers opening from rose-colored buds. These are nice plants from divisions.
Our collection of a good dark violet-pink version of this widespread Asian Allium. A very easy plant in the garden getting up to 20" tall and having the added bonus of being edible should emergency rations be needed. We had originally described this as being light pink based on some pale October flowers lingering in the cold mists clinging to the mountain but fortunately these turned out different in a very positive way.
Curious and uncommon walnut relative from our Asian seed collection where we found this as part of the rich mixture of trees and shrubs on steep mountain flanks. Pinnate leaves harkening to the family Juglandaceae but instead of nuts in a hard shell, this has nutlets in vertical ornamental cones which persist all winter. Too cool for school! The small cones have very small and insignificant yellowish flowers in June and July but the value comes from the long winter interest.
A medium sized tree in the wild, this is from the same remote mountain which yielded the first introductions of Schefflera fengii and Rhododendron sinofalconeri some 25 years ago and has not been revisited since. Vigorous tree with copious white flowers we presume followed by nutlets. A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering
Our collection from Asia of this low growing - prostrate actually - creeping Cotoneaster. It is one we admired as it crept over a rock face along the trail and we kept going, not intending to collect seed. Looking back, we saw our friend and great plantsman Peter Cox collecting seed so we scampered back to do the same. Found in the range of C. dammeri but there are 111 species in China alone. White flowers, red fruit and evergreen.
We have seen this species in the wild on multiple occasions and it is variable but all are first-rate foliage plants. This particular collection is derived from the plant voted best broadleaf evergreen of the trip, excluding Rhododendrons. Umbels of small creamy flowers give way to small black fruit. While we can't recall every plant we have seen plant hunting, the memory of this is crystal clear.
Any and all Styrax appeal to us and this was a necessary collection as a result. A vigorous tree of good size widely distributed in southern China and into adjoining countries to the south. This will have a lot of small, white bells in spring followed by pale nutlets clasped by a somewhat swollen green calyx. A very few of these gallon-sized plants. We will have to flower this to ID it for sure as China alone has nearly 40 species. Hardiness unknown but from relatively low elevation. A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering.