Garrya

Exceptional selection of this cross between Garrya elliptica and G. fremontii from Glasnevin in Ireland. What is notable about this is the long late winter catkins have conspicuous wine-colored bands. We're talking Pinot Noir here not Pinot Grigio. As a bonus, the stems are dark colored as well. Winter interest, anyone?

A hybrid from Pat Ballard's garden in Issaquah with parents of G. fremontii and G, elliptica. This is a phenomenal winter blooming plant with silver-sage and mauve pencil thin pendulous catkins up to 12" long in winter which look as though the lustrous evergreen leaves had been festooned with some sort of botanical tinsel in the most artistic manner.

James Roof' is a man among boys when you are talking West Coast Silktassels. This male cultivar is gloriously well-hung with flowering catkins that dangle nearly a foot in length resulting in catkin-envy among other Garrya cultivars and the occasional insecure gardener. Or so we are told. Tough evergreen doing it's thing in early spring.

A selection from the native plant specialists at the former Fairmeadow Nursery who made a habit of looking for good forms of Northwest natives. Large evergreen shrub that is tough as all get out liking sun and dry while shaking its showy tassels derisively at the deer since the hoofed rats won't eat it. Late winter long green catkin-like tassels appear just in time to give hope for spring flowers and keep you from doing yourself harm.

One of the best of the hybrids, this Silk Tassle bush is a cross between Garrya elliptica and G. fremontii. It has nice rounded evergreen leaves with catkins 8"-10" long in shades of green and purple in the winter. Just when SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder - ratchets up, Carl talks us down from the ledge. Tough plant and tolerant of some dry.