H

Jim Fox brought us seeds of this rare Chinese Hypericum from Roy Lancaster's garden in England where it is one of the many stars. A shrub of some refined habit with arching branchlets to perhaps 3 feet or a little more with very nice yellow flowers in mid summer. Roy is pretty much God of Plants as far as we're concerned and we're well pleased to have a bit of his garden in our own.

Alas, most Schefflera you have known and loved have been moved to other genera with just a scant handful remaining in Schefflera. Perfectly sensible for a very large genus spread over several continents. These are seed-grown from our plants from the recent first North American introduction. 

One of the most satisfying and reliable of the hardy Gingers. We've grown this Nepalese beauty for years now and it always blooms in mid to late summer with flowers of the most gentle orange. This is a good increaser in moist loose soil and looks marvelous in half sun or bright shade. This does not need a long warm Fall to flower but relishes our cool pseudosummers here in the Puget Sound. We mulch ours in the fall to keep frost for reaching the rhizome and basically other than that we just water and feed it. Very low care.

These are robust plants from seed collected by Chris Chadwell in northern India in 2012. Chris is extremely knowledgeable on the flora of Nepal, Kashmir and northwest India having done nearly 30 extensive botanical expeditions to those areas. This species is particularly interesting to us, as not only is it perfectly hardy for us in our gardens but it extends the geography in our accessions: it joins our shorter-stature 2003 collection from near eastern Bhutan, along with our 2006 collection from Sichuan. We like geeking out on a species and when we can observe the various expressions of morphology as influenced by the diversity of its range, it really doesn't get much better for us. Safe to say we get a "botanical flush". Anyway, this hardy true ginger relative is good down to zone 7b with enough mulch for short durations to single digits and happy in bright shade to mostly sun. This species blooms reliably for us every year outside and makes us very happy in October with its open spires of white crane fly flowers highlighted by salmon-pink working parts. Moist with drainage.

aka Schizostylis. A later blooming selection of perhaps more stoutness in stem and flower than some other clones. A good rounded pink flower on comparatively stout stems that holds the flowers nicely. And it is true that we enjoy the flowers here in November assuming we don't get an early cold snap. A good increaser and for those of you who have to be dragged kicking and screaming into winter refusing to let go of the last vestiges of summer then this is the plant for you.

This smaller Schefflera is a very ornamental species from our collection northern Vietnam from a mountain previously unexplored by westerners. Loose panicles of presumed creamy flowers and black fruit. Similar but different to Schefflera sp. NV 023. Pretty cool! A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering.

Young plants of a rare offering of this graceful woodland species from the borderlands of China and Vietnam. Upright plants to 10' that rarely branch with expected Schefflera - we mean Heptapleurum - green leaves. Umbels of black fruit in a raceme. Hardiness unknown but let's start with not very. A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering

Some of us are foliage fanatics, while others live and die by the flower, but I'm sure most if not all will agree, both is always better. This is one for those who don't like to make sacrifices, or simply have an appreciation for the best of both worlds. This species and variety is already a steadfast winner but these have been specially selected to offer both deeply colored flowers and attractive leave patterning.

An English selection of a North American species, shared with us by our dear friend and renowned Hepatica grower, breeder, and expert, John Massey of Ashwood Nurseries.  It is impossible to think of John without a liberal sprinkling of "exquisite" permeating the thought train and this includes reflections on Hepatica americana 'Ashwood Marble'.  The trilobed rounded leaves are exquisitely (see how that happens?) patterned with a base color of greenish pewter divided by muted chocolate-purple ragged peninsulas.  Delightfully small-scale, the petite soft lavender flowers with white anthers are profusely borne.  Great under deciduous trees and the species is also found on shaded rock outcrops in the wild.  John's book "My World of Hepaticas", is simply put, exquisite.

We adore the Halimiums as they have proved to be amply hardy here at Far Reaches, the nearest thing to a Russian Steppe that western Washington offers. Low growing evergreen shrub clad in grayish foliage and not shy at all yellow flowers with precise carmine pyramids at the base of each petal. Good drainage.

These Japanese versions of the European nobilis are ones we have grown from seed and have been hoarding for a few years but since there is no room left in the Hepatica house, we must send a few of our kids out into the world. Each plant varies a bit but all are good pinks and we get to pick. These good-sized plants are home-grown by us - not imported from Japan. Also note that these are not as hardy as the European Hepatica but good for sure in zones 8-9a.

Small winter-flowering species collected by Kettle and Wynn-Jones on Mt Fansipan in northern Vietnam. This is nice little ginger given varietal status due to its larger flowers and much larger sagittate anthers. Sagittate anther envy - it happens even in the plant world. Stems to 28" with very nice spidery white lightly scented flowers with reddish bracts. One of the evergreen species and best suited to frost-free conditions but does great in containers and easy to bring in during cold snaps - we keep ours just above freezing in the winter during the cold dips. Collectable rarity and worth trying indoors if you don't live in the Bay Area.

Our collection of this smaller species from an area little visited by westerners. This is an ideal species for todays urban gardens as it has a narrower and shorter habit than some tree types. Adaptable to sun or light shade. Terminal slightly descending panicles of whitish flowers followed by showy balls of black fruit. A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy offering.

A reintroduction of this rare species that has been introduced just once by Steve Hootman in 1995. This is from the same population but does provide a bit more genetic diversity as the ones cultivated from the 1995 introduction come from just one or two plants. Hardy in Seattle. These are young plants. A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering

To want more than 'Blue Jewel" is just wrong. This selection of one of the premier spring stalwarts subscribes to the theory that "more is better" and overwhelms with a myriad of small dark blue flowers. In this case, Miles Davis was wrong when he said "Less is more". He didn't garden. More is more.

Rare and distinctive species endemic to the island of Ulleungdo off the coast of Korea evolving from the mainland species, H. asiatica - a great example of island species evolution. The biennial leaves are very large. Small white to palest pink flowers backed by a stylin' green involucre. A less-hardy species that does great in a cool greenhouse or alpine house and good in a zone 8-9 garden with good drainage.

Likely the first introduction of this gorgeous evergreen broadleaf tree from Vietnam. The small yellowish flowers are held in terminal panicles, and not a big show. What is astounding every single day is the exfoliating bark which reveals sensuously smooth mocha skin, soft as the supple inner thigh of your vacation Island lover. We've come to terms that at this point in our lives, this tree is as close as we are going to get to that fantasy. No cultivation experience other than it has had frosts to 25F with no damage. Hopefully this will be zone 8 hardy like Huodendron tibeticum. Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy receives 50% of the sales of this plant. A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering

While the flowers are a charming mix of pinks, whites, and indigo blues, the leaves are the real show here, with a darkly lustrous appeal. Each leaf presents a uniquely marbled patterning of dark olive green and is finely haired giving it a decidedly solid and mature appearance. Would play well off of some of the more delicately and brightly silver foliaged varieties on offer.

Introduced from Taiwan by the plant hunting duo of Bleddyn and Sue Wynn-Jones, this makes rosettes of narrow leaves with heads of white flowers infused with lavender-pink in spring.  A gem for the shade garden as are all the species, this will also take part sun given moist conditions. While some authorities have sunk the genus Heloniopsis into our monotypic eastern US genus Helonias, we shall continue to wave the Heloniopsis flag from the ramparts at Far Reaches as the next revision will surely reinstate the status quo.

Collected by the Wynn-Jones of Crug Farm from, as they describe it, "the moist well-drained forests on the steep sides of the Aso Crater on Kyushu, Japan." The tip of the flowering stem or scape is dark purple which then holds lavender-pink flowers with dark ovaries. For moist soil in light shade to part shade.