Conservancy Plants

Fern fans we are, fern experts we are not, but we continue to chip away at the imposing taxonomic massif of Pteridophyta in hopes of becoming somewhat conversational in Fern. Currently, we can ask the equivalent of where the restroom is and order beer when talking Asian ferns. This is a creeping fern with long, thin rhizomes ideally suited for weaving through shallow moss on shaded rock faces with small orbicular-ovate evergreen leaves. This should be reasonably hardy as Acer griseum was growing a short distance away.

One of the tall verticillate species in China, this was growing among the branches of a striking shrubby Symplocos just below the mountain summit. The leaves on this species are arranged in whorls like the spokes of a tire. At the leaf base are clustered white and green flowers which turn into red fruit. We like it. A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering.

This seemingly non-existent in cultivation species of Mexican holly was collected by FRBC board member Cody Hinchliff in Oaxaca. Glossy evergreen leaves one often expects from a holly, these emerge a rich wine red in these plants that's highly attractive followed by glossy red berries. Growing as a tight rounded shrub of only about 5 feet in a sub-alpine zone that stays fairly moist and under full sun (Though the herbarium sheets suggest it may get larger in different conditions). Hardiness likely somewhere around 7b or 8a, will likely thrive in the Southeast, we are hoping it fares well in the wet PNW winters as well.

A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering

Our collection from Asia of what is likely the first introduction of this exceptional form of this equally exceptionally rare variety. Attractive leaves that are terminally cleft into bilateral lobes. The 12" long hanging panicles of white flowers are the finest in the genus, holding their own among the best of flowering trees. So much better than the straight species. Seed-grown younguns from the original plants. Who's your plant daddy!!!!! Photo credit to Steve Hootman. Proceeds from this offering go to support the mission of Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy.

Extraordinary botanical and ornamental introduction of this evergreen stoloniferous Dogwood.  Allied to the northern deciduous Cornus canandensis, C. unalaschkensis and C. suecica, this was discovered in the 1930's by Frank Kingdon Ward on high ridges in northern Burma, now Myanmar.  This was never introduced to cultivation and it remained the mythical lost Cornus of Kingdon Ward for 80 years until English botanist Keith Rushforth rediscovered it in Myanmar growing in moss under Rhododendrons and Acer wardii and managed to introduce a handful of clones.  We are fortunate to have four clones and we much admire the glossy evergreen leaves and white-bracted flowers with their dark chocolate stamens.  This has proved hardy for us in our Zone 8a garden and we have hope that given its crazy disjunct location not far from the Tropic of Cancer, that this might be adaptable to the warmer evenings and humidity of the Southeast and East Coast but this remains to be seen.  Extremely rare. A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering. Proceeds from this offering go to support the mission of Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy.

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Gonads and Phlegm, all I can think of when I see the vomitous new Latin name. I swear sometimes it feels like the taxonomists really have it out for us poor laborers. Luckily the associations stop there (other than the phlegmatic coloration perhaps). This neat little epiphytic fern picked up on a brief stint in Taiwan resembles the more commonly grown Polypodium formosanum (so much so that we originally collected it as such) in its thick vivid green rhizomes that provide a wholly unexpected dimension of appeal. The fronds however differ with the pinnules in unbelievably precise rows undiminished in length until nearly the tip, reminds me of those brain-becalming social media videos of things so perfectly arranged it just triggers something primal in the mind. Likely happy with similar treatment to more common Polypodiums just with an extra dose of warmth and humidity preferred, as of yet untrialed outdoors here but we are guessing not very hardy. We're thinkin' first intro to cultivation in the U.S.

A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering