Disporum

If you are into variegation, like woodland plants, want to make a statement, are a botanical Sinophile, a discerning or even indiscriminate plant collector or just plain driven by beauty in the garden then this is a must have. White variegated leaves on stems to 4' with whitish flowers followed by black fruit. Evergreen if mild you are lucky to have mild winters. We mulch the spears of new shoots to keep spring frosts from damaging them and if so lucky to have had a mellow winter, remove the previous years stems as the new ones elongate but usually winter has already done that for us.

Gorgeous little gem out of Japan with a rich yellow center to the leaf surrounded by green with some nice feathering details. This will increase quickly but not aggressively and adds a nice splash of color in the shade garden. The white flowers go well with the whole package.

A collection by our friend Steve Hootman, the Indiana Jones of plant hunting, of this quite beautiful Asian species from a fairly cold area so this should have good hardiness. Attractive foliage on 10"-15" stems with showy white parasols of flowers in mid spring which brings light to the dark of the shade garden. Gently spreading to just the right extent and rare in cultivation. Two attributes that are horticultural music to our ears.

A very good and stable selection from Japan of this little woodland creeper. Dark green leaves are well-marked with feathered yellow tips and in spring this has pendant white starry flowers. This will increase to create a definite bit of visual velcro in the garden because as your eye roams the plants, it will stop abruptly on this one.

Our collection from Guizhou in 2010 of this mouth-watering shade perennial. Branched stems to nearly 3' with large reddish-purple pendulous flowers followed by shiny black fruit. We like this one so much we went back to the same mountain in 2012 and collected more seed! Gonna rock the shade garden.

This indispensable species was exciting to see even though it was well into fall. Numerous plants with up to 30" stems and clusters of black fruit. Even though the leaves were turning brown in anticipation of winter, we imagined the scene in spring with the overstory of Magnolia sieboldii and the Disporum with its pendant red-purple bells in small bunches of 3-7 or more. Ear to ear grins! This is the same population as the CDHM 14604 collection two years later.

Excellent selection from the former Heronswood nursery of this robust woodlander noted for the dark hued stems especially in the new growth. This is an exuberant grower sending up big dark chocolate asparagus spears of new growth in late spring which branch out as they get taller bearing small creamy-green bells followed by glistening small black fruit. The young leaves carry some of coloring of the new growth and the whole plant retains this color better if grown in sun in our mild sun climate. In our shade garden, the foliage matures to a very pleasing dark olive-green and seems like some impressive cousin to bamboo as it can each 5'-6' tall. We always mulch ours in winter as we don't want to freeze out the crown and the new growth can start early here in the PNW so this mulch protects it from getting frosted. An easy and stunning plant. This was and still is offered as a selection of Disporum cantoniense but we thank Bleddyn Wynn-Jones for correctly identifying this as to species.

Light pink starry flowers grace this covetous form of this wee Japanese species. A gentle peregrinator spreading by short stolons and making a fine little clump which manages to evoke a warm fuzzy feeling in both the jaded collector as well as your average "dirt" gardener. We live in both worlds and we like it. A lot.

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.

A variegated cultivar via Japanese nurserymen of this uncommon Disporum species. Pleated evergreen leaves marked by a yellow center lend the plant a continued interest even without the joyous, white, bell-shaped flowers. A nice source of contrast in the shade garden!

Pendant clusters of yellow bells makes this a refined and classy plant for the shade garden. Makes nice clumps and effortlessly combines with so many shade-loving plants. This Korean and Japanese native is very hardy and a good doer increasingly pleasantly fast. Some Disporum are runners but this stays obediently where you plant it. It is one of the few yellow-flowered species in the genus and for us has proven to be one of the easiest in the garden.

An introduction to the US by Asiatica Nursery from Japan, this stands out for the foliage which have broad centers of lime green in shade to yellowish in brighter light. Quite a good thing. We find this hard to distinguish from D. longistylum but are calling it bodinieri based on its shorter height and despite lacking a creeping rhizome. Evergreen in mild climates.

Rare species from Taiwan collected by botanist Pascal Bruggeman. This is evergreen in mild winters and has late spring subterminal clusters of pendulous bells the color of a perfect flan with tips of the tepals looking as though dipped in chocolate. A rhizomatous species but so not a thug for us.

This is a very attractive and not often available variegated form with yellow imbued leaves which greens up as they mature. We'll have to take the time to key this out when it blooms as it may be a different species but we love it for whatever the epithet. White flowers.

A jolly plant indeed introduced by Heronswood from Sichuan. This has evergreen foliage springing from new growth that looks to be a bamboo until it leafs out. Small creamy white flowers in early summer and blue-black fruit held well into winter if the cold doesn't knock back the 6' + stems. Cut back old stems in spring if you were lucky enough to have a mild winter and it remained evergreen.

From one of the richest botanical late afternoon spur-of-the-moments "let's see what this dirt road offers" we have ever had. From trees, to shrubs to perennials to monocots, we made very little progress up the road in the time available. This indispensable perennial Merry Bells was 2' tall with tempting blue fruit in light shade and part sun.  Upon flowering, this deviated from the typical purple-pink bells of cantoniense with greenish flowers whose midsection is infused with a pale chocolate. The species is wide-ranging and it would not be surprising to see color variation in the flowers. Certainly a rarity whether it is this species or proves to be something else entirely.

A scarce selection from Japan with white feathering at the ends of the leaves. Typical habit for the species which is great because you will want a nice clump of this! White flowers as well at the tips of the 4"-6' stems and all in all, a sophisticated addition to the shade garden.

Our Asian collection of this seductively compelling woodland species. All parts in all stages have a synchronicity of poised loveliness that binds the gaze to that moment slowing time and pace allowing one to absorb beauty be it a nascent unfurling, ornament of purplish bells, refinement of green or understated black pearls.

A collection by Aaron Floden that ticks many of the boxes for the species brachystemon but this has not yet been verified. The anticipation is keen indeed! The green-cream flowers in terminal groupings of 3-5 show well and even as buds entice in the nascent olive green shoots. A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering

From a Crug Farm collection comes this rare woodlander. We are smitten by all the members of this genus as well as it's kith and kin in other genera. This has the pendulous greenish white flowers so familiar yet so intriguing. A shade garden bereft Convallariaceae quietly weeps.