Japan

This is the Japanese version of our native False Hellebore. Wonderful broad pleated leaves and when old enough, nice spikes of white starry flowers to 3' or more. This likes a rich moist soil, emerges early in spring and goes dormant by mid to late summer. Deer resistant and very hardy. Young plants.

Excellent little Asian Allium that is very nice with small heads of white flowers. Perfect for the rock garden or does great in regular garden beds as it does appreciate some moisture during the summer. Sun and decent drainage and thrives in one customers garden in Michigan. Tidy and of good disposition and certainly not a garden thug.

A Dan Hinkley collection from Japan of this fine mid to late summer blooming Allium species. Good richly colored purple flowers are freely produced on this densely clumping little dude. Good in containers and great in the rock garden or special little niche. This was originally misidentified as Allium thunbergii.

This is a cultivar being exported from Holland. The flower color is a shade darker than typical so that is good. What isn't good is that this is an imposter. One reference we found says the flowers should face upwards, this doesn't but if it did, it would merit clonal naming. "Shi-ran" is simply the Japanese name for Bletilla which would suggest that this was a generic import by the Dutch from Japan. aarrgghh. Every source we have seen that lists this selection has this same plant. All of this said, it is a slightly darker form and not unlike one we grew years ago as 'Rosea' also from Holland.

This naturally occuring hybrid Deparia comes to us via plantsman Lance Reiners. Forms a clump of glossy dark green single fronds, each of which is marked by an extremely crenate margin, think scrapbooking scissors. The overall effect is rather eel-like and somewhere between a small blechnum and a tongue fern. Very unusual and quite attractive, wants a wet but well drained spot. Should be hardy down to Zone 7 given its parentage but will possibly go slightly lower.

Rare plant found only in limited areas in central Honshu, Japan where it likes the forest fringes in the subalpine areas and is known as hiiragi-sou or holly tree-leafed weed. Hiiragi-sou sounds better than the translation. This selection has dark blue flowers and is a deciduous clumper to 16" tall - very nice!

How does that old saying go something about 3 lips are better than one? Or was it heads? or was it 2? Nah pretty sure it was three lips and who would beg to disagree after seeing this oh-so-kissable little mutant hardy orchid. The name says it all, where the usual flowers of the species usually have only one ruffled lower edge the flowers on this form have a triangular trinity that only adds to the exotic appearance. 

Early Form  This jumpstarts the Solomon Seal season by being among the very first to start growing in spring.  Dense clumps of gracefully thin stems with an instinctual air of culture to the presentation of foliage and white flowers – not unlike the plantsman, educator, author, presenter, tour guide – ok, we’ll stop with the resume of the tasteful Cole Burrell who shared this with us.

A smaller Japanese Wild Ginger that eventually clumps quite densely. It looked good in our garden for many years but we dug it and potted it so we could share these and must plant some back. Small heart-shaped leaves with an irregular central green isthmus flanked on either side by a froth of silver. Small purple-brown flowers are not missed hiding under the fine leaves. This looks like the form from Mt Takao based solely on web photos from habitat. Wish we had our own photos from Mt Takao!

A very good evergreen fern native to Taiwan, China and Japan which we imported from a specialist in the UK. Tidy and attractive species reaching 30" wide with fronds to 20" tall, this requires shade to part shade. And brace yourself - it is tolerant of dry shade! Happier of course with some water, Spore-grown by us.

Chunky well-established pots of this uncommon selection. A robust taller species whose leaves sport a moonlit sliver of variegation on the upper leaf margin. This is more than enough for the variegated-obsessed despite it benefiting from the magnifier function on your phone. Well-displayed large white bells.

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 is different from white to pale pink and we get to pick. These are larger, established plants - not fresh from Japan. Also note that these are not as hardy as the European Hepatica but good for sure in zones 8-9a.

Luscious variegated selection out of Japan of this small evergreen shrub. The leaves are heavily frothed and patterned in creamy whites which can take on some pink depending on the season and exposure. No two leaves are alike on this new wave plant canvas. Small white flowers under the branches. Small but nice plants.

Very collectible selection of this hardy terrestrial orchid which boasts - yes, boasts, of its unique, light chartreuse foliage. if your ears, like ours, are tuned to that high frequency in which plants converse, you can just make out this orchid sounding like an NBA player after throwing down a one-handed jam from an alley-oop "Yeah! Lookit me! Me! I'm a bad-ass orchid! You ask yo mama how bad I am! An yo sister - she loves how my leaves shine when the lights go down." I've given up on the NBA because such displays are wearisome but somehow, with this orchid, it is an endearing cheekiness. Light yellow foliage looks it best in bright shade to part sun and not the part during the hot part of the day. Leaves 18"-24" with pinkish-purple flowers a few inches taller in June and hardy to zone 6 especially with winter mulch.

One of the classic broad leaf evergreen small trees, this grows quite slowly and will fill the evergreen shrub niche for many years. This has small apetalous (that would be no petals so you can guess at the wow factor) chartreuse flowers in spring. Just a great Asian plant requiring decent moist soil.

A curiosity found and named in Japan, this has long, crazy thread-like leaves on thin stems and will make a spreading, small mound which would hang over an edge if so sited. It can be staked up to get a bit of height which we like. No fruit or flowers on this Mulberry and don't grow this clone for silk production - the poor silkworms would starve!

This tasteful perennial from Japan bides its time in the shade garden as the floral hoi polloi scrabble for attention during spring and summer. Once the fracas has died down, this takes center stage in September and October with its intricately constructed buds like little pieces of sculpture which open to fuzzy light lavender flowers. 

An uncommon variety of the standard evergreen Tongue fern found across East Asia. To this already attractive species 'Keikan' adds wide fronds with rippling deeply lobed margins resulting in a striking flame-like effect. Best grown in a well drained location or on a slope where it will happily spread by its trailing rhizomes.

Easy there, steady yourself - remember to breathe……..you are reading this right - this is a double flowered Heloniopsis of the dark flowered persuasion. Dense heads of tightly packed double flowers of dark pink-lavender makes this very collectible for those who love rare aberrations, and isn't that true of most of us?

Tongue Ferns are widespread in China and Japan where they can be epiphytic as well as lithophytic on rocks. Fantastic variants are being selected by the cult followers of Pyrrosia in Japan and "Tachiba Koryu' is one with evergreen blade-like leaves sporting rounded lobes along the margins. Does fantastic at Peckerwood Gardens near Houston. We have seen the species making impressive colonies on rock faces or in mossy rubble during various China forays and it is always like coming across an old friend in the forest. This is best grown in loose, well drained soil and would be happy in a rotting stump or lightly shaded scree bed.