New & Restocked

Podophyllum or Dysosma – the Asian species are better in Dysosma but when shopping, most people look for Podophyllum when they need to push their shade garden over the top.  This Chinese species was shared with us by our friend and great plantsman Darrell Probst who knows an extraordinary plant when he sees it.  Among our sea of Podophyllum species and cultivars, this stands apart in habit, form and flower.  Upright stems hold green lobed saucers of leaves which cannot be confused with the other green-leafed species.  Beautifully displayed are single white flowers under each leaf which when pollinated, morphs into a glowing orange fruit.  For us, this species stays in a tight crown without the running habit of some other species.  This is good if your space is limited and bad if you want more and of course, we want lots!  Which we don’t have but the scant few we do have in surplus, are here.

Perhaps the most splendid yet in our little collection of these enigmatic little South American Peruvian lily relatives. This one comes to us from Ecuador via plant friend Chen Hao. The flaming red and orange flowers were something to behold in their inaugural appearance and are worth bending over backward like the resupinate leaves to lay eyes on. Likely vigorously vining where it can overwinter well, hard to say where that might be, anything less than Zone 9 is potentially a gamble but please report to us any positive results!

Cutting-grown from a plant grown by Roger Eichmann from seed collected from the “best” augustinii in June Sinclair’s renowned species Rhododendron garden.  We say “best” because that varied from year to year in June’s opinion as to which of her 3 favorite clones was the best but we can tell you that all three were stellar.  Masses of lavender-blue flowers can cover the foliage on one of the classic Rhododendron species that is the keystone plant in many a garden.

This evergreen Solomon Seal mimic was collected in Taiwan by horticultural powerhouse Adam Black who graciously shared a plant with us some years ago.  Evergreen leaves on a low spreading plant with white flowers although severe cold events might turn evergreen to deciduous.  Pair this with fine-textured ferns, smaller Ophiopogon, Trillium or really, whatever floats your garden design boat.  Follow Adam on Instagram – he goes deep!

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.

Very cool South African bulb grown from seed we received from English plantsman Harry Hay many years ago. Harry was a discriminating collector of plants and generous in sharing. This has broad strap leaves and tall stems bearing pendulous flowers of softly muted green. Truly regal. This has been amply hardy for us and appreciates a bit of shade from the hottest part of the day and will do well on an eastern aspect which where we have ours planted on our sunny border. 

One of the finest False Solomon Seal's around and rarely obtainable. These are spirit-breakingly slow to grow from seed. However, these are of such perfection when mature with stout 24"-30" stems arching gracefully and each bearing a terminal plume of flashy white flowers that once again we forsake common sense for beauty. 

 The word exceptional describes this ultra-collectible plant – a species peony in the truest sense. It is unlike its well-known relatives and mudblood hybrid cousins in just about every way. Fleshy blue-green leaves are flattened and dissected in a way that resembles birdwings illustrated by medieval illuminators, ornamental to the maximum. The single, diminutive, downward-facing flowers on the other hand are something only a plantaholic could love, leathery and not at all blousey but with a charismatic scarlet and yellow coloration that makes some amends. Rarely offered and rarely seen, in part because it inhabits the dry pine woodlands east of the Mountain West. Even though it is native to Washington east of the Cascade Mountains, this collection is from the southernmost part of its range in Washoe County, Nevada.  Given its habitat, in wetter climates this will ask for quite good drainage in full sun to dappled shade – our happy plant likes our rainshadow rock garden.  Any inherent and perceived challenges are well worth the trouble for those with supreme taste. While these are relatively small seed-grown plants which aren’t flowering size - not of the standard hybrid peony three-eye variety – this is more than enough to get your plant-nerd on!. 

A native of the wild east of Washington state, this is one outlaw that couldn't escape the long arm of taxonomical law and its free-wheeling life as the impossible to spell Synthyris has ended in emasculation at the hands of all consuming Veronica. Cormac would weep. Nonetheless it's evergreen discs of boot-spur margined foliage and vivid purple gun-barrel flowers spikes will live on in garden legend.