China

Young plants derived from Tom Mitchell, likely via Crug Farm, and came to us from Aaron Floden - now there is a chain of custody! We first listed this as V. schindleri but now have learned differently with the thought that these might be a hybrid with V. formosanum due to the variation in color, size and tendency to flower young which is a hallmark of the species.

V. schindleri is a very attractive species that is highly variable in flower color in the wild which makes a definitive call on hybridity difficult, especially as we have not observed schindleri in the wild except in the fall as dormant plants with withered foliage which is little help. We can say for sure these young plants will show variation - send us pics when yours flowers - and pictured is one of our older plants in flower. This is quite interesting with the pale petals and darker eye pattern to the center which turns reddish as the seed capsule begins to develop. This will have the familiar albeit fairly narrow pleated leaves and aforementioned flowers in an open and airy arrangement on the 3' flowering stem. A rich moist soil in part shade will be just the ticket and this should be quite hardy.

Our collection from the lower slopes of Mt Japfu in Nagaland at around 7000'. (NAPE= Nagaland/Arunachal Pradesh Expedition 2203) This is an epiphyte growing below the frost zone with showy red flowers and narrow petals. Best cool in loose, airy, mossy soil, treated like an indoor fern. A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering

Another one of those shouldn't-be-hardy-but-is begonias. This comes from SW China and does fine here in moist shaded gardens especially if you mulch it during that arctic blast we can get. Excellent long-fingered foliage to 18" tall cloak the pink flowers which are a nice hidden surprise in late summer.

A floriferous and perhaps hardier selection with a bit larger flowers than usual by the late Don Jacobs of Eco-Gardens in Georgia. Don was one of the first nurserymen to get into China in 1983 as the bamboo curtain was lifting. It is hard not to like the soft lavender-blue flowers with darker spotting around the white band surrounding the yellow thumbprint. Light shade.

Our collection of this less-commonly encountered evergreen Solomon Seal lookalike in the Asparagaceae Family.  Fetchingly growing by a boulder and overhanging a small stream while we cast glances behind us in case the nearby troop of monkeys concluded we were in a vulnerable position.  Small white bells on the undersides of the stems in May and June are pleasantly scented if you are flexible enough to get your nose down to your ankles.  Purplish fruits follow.

An uncommon and variable species, this form can get stoutly immense to over 6' with broad paired leaves and fine white (no surprise there) bell-shaped flowers.  This was shared with us as a large bare root division in full bloom with the single stem taller than us which prompted much hilarity.  Contrary to intuition, this is the best time to divide Polygonatum.  These are not divisions as they wouldn't fit in a shippable pot but younger plants grown from seed. Enjoy!

This is a little charmer from a Diana Reeck collection in Yunnan which is quite short to just a few 6" tall but with very lovely pinkish and white flowers. When we see this bloom it takes us back to those same woods where saw this same species a year after Diana collected its seed in 1996, This is a sturdy little fellow increasing each year by offsets and reseeding a bit. We're terribly fond of this one.

Terrestrial species from Taiwan that is seldom offered for sale. We have just a handful of these available as divisions and there aren't many as this is a small hand. White flowers on stems to 20", this grows up to 6000' in Taiwan and can tolerate hard frosts. In colder gardens, mulch this well for winter.

This former Anemone is one we first became acquainted with in John Massey's impeccable garden at Ashwood Nursery. We didn't know what it was but it grabbed our attention which is saying something in that candy store of a garden. A small plant that would be well-suited for a moist rock garden setting, it has simple, soft yellow flowers and distinctive green leaves.

Extreme rarity from the summit of Jinfoshan where this was found growing in moss and leaf litter atop a narrow shoulder of hard limestone napped in snow from the night before. A diminutive species to just 3" tall with small evergreen thumbnail leaves and small white flowers touched in rose on the interior. Light lavender fruit follows. We expect this to be among the hardiest of the Disporopsis and are pleased to be the first to introduce and offer the true species. As a side note of irony, the collection site has subsequently been destroyed by development for eco-tourism.

Unique Viburnum with cute rounded evergreen leaves which are unmatched elsewhere in the genus. Clusters of small white flowers are in keeping as is the resultant black fruit. There is something universally appealing about this plant which must be the cute factor and somehow it manages to retain this even as a larger shrub to 8' tall. This was formerly Viburnum harryanum.

From the southern portion of its range, this collection has performed wildly beyond expectations given the low bar set from the dormant plants in the wild where they were 8'-10' tall in full exposure. We seldom name plants but this selection is worthy with profuse bee-laden white flowers from top to bottom.

It's a well-known fact of life that miniature means cute. And this widdle-bitty Iris hits all the same dopamine and oxytocin receptors longing for the long forgotten taste of that sweet sweet brain candy we shoveled in so naively as children. Nurseryman Darrell Probst clearly has an eye for the adorable, as this unique selection of an already extremely rare and choice iris sports pale flowers of only about 1.5" amidst fine grassy evergreen foliage.

Our collection from a compact population near the summit of Leigongshan in 2010. These were exceptionally handsome rounded evergreen shrubs with clusters of small white flowers in June and umbels of red berries in the fall. This will become a familiar plant in the landscape in years to come. A subsequent collection from the same population has been given the name 'Thunder's Dwarf'

An evergreen Chinese species notable for the large evergreen leaves on long stems and for the numerous yellow flowers with their curved spurs which are held above the leaves. This will steadily increase in size bringing even more oomph to the garden. Coldest portions of its zonal range might see this be deciduous.

Rare introduction of an incredibly attractive Gaultheria species. This low-growing species seldom exceeded 2'-3' in height. The reticulate evergreen leaves on reddish stems often were chalky white underneath and the white flowers mingled with young red fruit and black mature fruit. Hardiness unknown but we're guessing light frosts only as it was not far from cardamom plantings in the forest. A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy offering.

We love the Asiatic Gentians and want them all as they are easy, hardy and put on such a show in late summer/early fall. We were thrilled to get this one from our friend Urs of Edelweiss Nursery who brought this in from a German gentian specialist. Not your typical blue, this has white flowers with pale yellowish stripes. Moist and sun.

Superb and hardy fern from our collection in Mogecuo, Sichuan found growing in thick moss atop a large boulder shaded by Rhododendron bureavioides. Pretty sure on the genus and obviously floundering on the species. The genus has undergone recent revision and names may not yet be finalized. Hardy for us and deciduous.

If the nursery catches on fire or there is an EF5 tornado bearing down or skies darken from a locust plague of biblical proportions, this is in the first armload we grab. A gesneriad from our collection in Asia where this grew on shaded, mossy rock faces enjoying Acer griseum and Emmenopterys henryi as neighbors. Gloriously large, totally tubular lavender-pink flowers awaken urges long forgotten. Hardy here at FRF in the maritime PNW. A portion of the proceeds goes to support the mission of Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy.

It is always a real treat to see this come into flower in late spring and early summer with bright white buttons of double flowers held on thin wires of stems above the narrow green foliage. This comes from the mountains of Europe and may likely be the closely related species pusilla based on its narrow leaves. Great rock garden plant and zone 5 hardy.