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92 products
We have not keyed this Chinese species yet but it is on the docket. This was a small tree growing in bamboo and mixed forest at good elevation. The leaves are glossy and attractive but the almost lilac-like heads of white honey-scented flowers are the thing. Small shiny black fruit. A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering
A very rare member of this famously lustrous fern genus, this species is found only in two provinces of China. Possessed of delightfully round fronds that never fail to elicit cries of "that's a fern!", and that each with their glossy, pebbled texture look very much like fallen scales of some great dragon or dinosaur. The magic continues when the acrostichoid sporangia emerge, cloaking the entire back surface in what looks like fine black soot. Flora of China describes the rhizomes as long creeping but this hasn't been the case for us thus far as they have plodded along with small clumps with only a few new leaves at a time. We recently planted this out in our tufa wall and it already shows signs of increased vigor though so perhaps it just dislikes the confines of black plastic. Cold hardiness to be determined but we feel good about its chances in the PNW, a rocky substrate is desirable and a touch less moisture than most ferns.
Long confused with Pyrrosia lingua or simply listed as Pyrrosia sp. there are a few collection of this species floating around the PNW, the key to distinguishing is the fluffy fuzzed rhizomes and the wide prominently veined fronds. It has proved quite vigorous here in pots growing quickly on long rhizomes and would make an excellent stumpery subject as I suspect it does the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden. This particular collection hails from North Vietnam and while we haven't yet trialed it outside we expect it will prove hardy here.
A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering
Yet another of diverse and headachingly difficult to identify genus that love but doesn't love us back (at least taxonomically). The dark, opaque, and serrately margined rhizome scales have led us to believe it belongs in the section pseudovittaria where the publication helpfully states species delimitation is particularly difficult. Whatever the species it is an attractive small evergreen species that grows epiphytically in the wild and while spreading by rhizome tends to form a nice tight clump overall. The fronds start off broader and slightly twisted but become thin and much more upright as the sori develop. This has proved hardy for us thus far in the tufa wall housed in our collector's garden and has drawn the particular admiration of a few very knowledgeable local fern fanatics.
A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering
Endemic to a small region of central Chile, and vulnerable in the wild, this is like the rare collectible variant of Lobelia tupa, with much the same habit and cultural requirements, meaning full sun and decent drainage, especially in the face of winter wet. The flowers present as a flurry of frilly pink corollas that conjure images of the fabulous tails of tropical birds, honed for years by evolution to attract flirtatious females. The flirtation here is with hummingbirds, endowed with the perfectly adapted slender beaks; or with coastal climate gardeners endowed with the perfect mild winters. Likely slightly less hardy than L. tupa and will be reset to the ground each winter. These are from wild seed collected by FRBC board member and botanist Cody Hinchliff.
Never enough of these whimsical epiphytic blueberry relatives with their chunky lignotubers and whimsical tubular flowers in a seemingly infinite variety of colors and patterns. Luckily thanks to our favorite local Ericaceae dealer Steve Hootman we are never long without. We haven't flowered this collection yet but fair to expect white slightly fuzzed flowers with green at the base and tips. The densely hairy arching stems and glossy leaves are good enough on their own, especially when they are flushing new foliage in salmon tones. Particularly vigorous and easy to keep looking nice as compared to its fellows in the genus, may have some hardiness as well.