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Meadow Blazing Star. One of the many garden stars at Denver Botanic Garden's Chatfield gardens, this is especially favored by Monarch butterflies. Fluffy rose-purple flowers to an an inch or more wide appear on the vertical 12"-36" stems midsummer to September. Native from Alberta to New Mexico, this likes sandy or rocky soils on the dry side. Rich loamy easy-livin' soils pushes too much growth leading to the dreaded flop.

Exceptional form of the species we received from the Master Of Leptospermum, Ian Barclay of Desert Northwest. This fast-growing Tea Tree will become a fine large shrub to 15' in mild areas. Silver-purplish needle-like leaves in summer turn darker purple in fall & winter. The small white flowers are visual madness. Ours has handled 10F in our dry garden. Deer proof.

Lilium rosthornii is an uncommonly interesting lily from China whose flowers reflect a design concept taken to its ultimate expression by an inveterate tinkerer. Three foot stems carry large, vivid orange flowers whose narrow petals are recurved into an impossible backbend with a twist thrown in for good measure. The exposed faces of the petals fairly bristle with polyp-like papillose projections while the revealed open throat displays a dark green star from which unashamedly project the very long stamens and pistils. Having traveled in India, the outlandish floral corollary that popped into our minds was of a sadhu performing in Cirque du Soleil. Google images for sadhu and all will be clear. Lilium rosthornii is similar to L. henryi but flowers a bit later with peak bloom in September for us and has narrow vertical seed capsules as opposed to more globose and pendant in L. henryi.

An interesting Asian Lysimachia which we have not yet identified. These genus is widespread and varied in Asia with over 170 species and varieties in China alone. It is so much easier to key out monotypic genera where there is but a single species. This is from lower elevations and we have not trialed it outside yet but looks frost sensitive. A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering

Twinberry Honeysuckle. This the southern variant of our native shrubby Honeysuckle which here in Washington has tubular yellow flowers but down in southern Oregon and California, these flowers are little firecrackers of orangish-red. Tough plant liking wet sites but quite tolerant of drier spots. Hummers like this!

Our collection of this clumping species growing in open glades among towering virgin old growth Cryptomeria and Podophyllum pleianthum on Tianmushan in Zhejiang. Fleshy fairly wide strappy leaves to 18" with erect 18" scapes holding aloft clusters of black fruit. Flowers not seen but will be white or lavender.

Here's something good for zone 9 or a conservatory or a move in and out plant. This is a very fun Gesneriad from northern Vietnam collected by Josh McCullough from an area that likely sees some frost although we wouldn't put it to any severe test! This has late season large trumpets (if trumpets had an inflated tube) of pink/white flowers. Glossy green foliage, this would be a classic epiphyte growing on mossy or humus covered boulders and even in trees. This has been very easy for us in our cool greenhouse kept just above freezing in the winter, This would love the Bay Area!

One of our favorite plants for the landscape is this New Zealand Iris relative. Tough evergreen leaves makes a broadly grassy mound 2' high x 3' across and has numerous stems bearing lots of 1" pure white flowers. Wind tolerant. May be cut to ground in severe winter. Easy care.

A collection from Mount Imlay in New South Wales of an expected hardier form of the species. Prickly needle-like leaves on a multi-stemmed shrub with white flowers although light pink flowers have been reported in that location. Ours is white so that takes the guesswork out. This should be fine in milder gardens here in the Puget Sound and can take poorly drained situations. Deer do not find this tasty.

Yellow Himalayan Honeysuckle. A species from NE India and northern Myanmar originally introduced by Frank Kingdon-Ward just over 100 years ago, this is from a more recent US Natiional Arboretum collection. Yellow flowers over bronzed foliage distinguishes this from the more familiar Leycesteria formosa.

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. These are hefty plants.

A deciduous shrub that can be treated as a perennial or a woody perennial with the form and firepower of a flowering shrub depending on your clime. Each year the pithy arching stems rocket up to human heights and explode into a cascade of pink pea flowers. A worthy addition to a perennial border or to add a floral punch in a space where evergreens are the winter showpiece. Plus, I must say its a pleasure at cut-back time with its neat arrangement and satisfying woody crack. Can be a bit aggressive in the warmer climes of the Southeast.

Amazing Chilean Lobelia that is perfectly hardy here if you mulch it during nasty cold snaps. This is one of those perennials that when you see it grown well and you aren't familiar with it, has an almost concussive visual impact. Even when you do know it well, it still seems like a freak of nature it is so beautiful.This gets multiple stalks to 7' high with spires of tubular red flowers for 6-8 weeks which beckon hummingbirds from afar. Highly dramatic and surprisingly easy given good drainage. This grows in sandy areas in Chile so drainage is key. We grow ours in raised beds and mulched with dairy manure as they have a healthy appetite. In late fall, we cut up the stalks and lay them over the crown and usually toss some more cow poo over that as we want to keep frost from the crown plus it can make growth early which can get frosted so the mulch helps. We get ours through short periods of low teens with no problem. This is surely one of the finest of the larger perennials.

A collection by Philip MacDougall from Taiwan of this predominantly Chinese species. The pale flowers spring from the leaf axils of the arching stems and are just touched in pink and purple and will never be accoladed as showy but are charming. The reddish fruit are quite nice and dangle as showy little orbs. We have come to quite enjoy it's understated charms. This was once placed in the genus Pratia.

The Tree Lomatia from Australia. As the name implies, this can get large - up to 20' or so. Here in the PNW, this will likely be a large shrub, getting taller as you move down the west coast. Bewildering array of leaf shapes within the species, this is but one form. White, scented flowers in summer.

Progeny from a San Francisco Botanical Garden introduction from high elevation in Guatemala. High there still means frost sensitive but what a showoff in zones 9&10! Mass red flowers summer into winter with the lower three petals contrasting apricot. Evergreen shrub to 5-'6'+ tall and as wide. Ours in pots feed the overwintering greenhouse hummers.

One of those perennial Lobelia that shouldn't be as hardy as it is but mountainous areas of southern Arizona and northern Mexico have plants with surprising hardiness. A graceful clump of thin willowy leaves on stems 15"-24" tall with a profusion of midsummer tubular red flowers with a bright yellow throat. Deciduous in winter, ours handles our brief drops to 10F with mulch. Good drainage aids in winter survival.

One of two diminutive Libertia seedlings collected here in the greenhouses at Far Reaches, of the two this one could perhaps be considered the true dwarf. Topping out at only about 3 inches and that may be generous, quite possibly even more compact than 'Nelson Dwarf'. Quality green bladed foliage and tri-wing flowers we have come to love from the genus.

Dainty yet durable species collected by Sue on Mt Saramati which straddles the border of Myanmar and Nagaland. The only lily capsule found on the trip and it proved to be a distinct variant likely to merit subspecific status. Small white flowers. Sue is now a footnote in botanical history.

Young bulbs of this choice variable species from the Caucasus. Impressive displays of up to 24 scented creamy flowers whose reflexed tepals expose the soft yellow throat and fine maroon stippling in this form. This is a hardy early bloomer which is ideal for those cold northern gardens with short growing seasons.