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Just call her Molly the Witch. This fabled Peony is a choice species from the Caucasus region with impossible to improve upon single yellow goblets for flowers. The red new growth in spring evokes some avant garde asparagus. Showy blue-black seeds mingle with the red infertile ovules in large seedpods in late summer staking claim to ornament of equal consideration to that of the flowers. These are plants whose origins lie with our late friend, mentor and knucklehead Steve Doonan and he would be so pleased to see these listed here. This was formerly the species mlokosewitschii but Hong has reduced it to a subspecific rank under P. daurica in his daunting 2008 monograph on the genus and darned if we are going to argue with him - dude is serious. These are youngsters that will take a couple years to get to blooming size.

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.

Our collection from Asia of what is likely the first introduction of this exceptional form of this equally exceptionally rare variety. Attractive leaves that are terminally cleft into bilateral lobes. The 12" long hanging panicles of white flowers are the finest in the genus, holding their own among the best of flowering trees. So much better than the straight species. Young cutting-grown plants which will grow fast. Who's your plant daddy!!!!! Photo credit to Steve Hootman. Proceeds from this offering go to support the mission of Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy.

This is a dandy cross between Primula minima which is really tricky to grow and P. hirsuta which is a lot easier. The result has the charm of minima without the temperament and the ease of cultivation which hirsuta offers. Great foliage and vibrant reddish flowers. Good drainage and morning sun.

Bold white flowers with broadly rounded petals on this Japanese selection of the species. In Japan in the wild, this primrose is found on grassy edges and mixed with other plants which provide a dappled light. It is also more adapted than most Primula to a bit of summer dry if need be. There is a plant society in Japan devoted solely to this one species and all of its cultivars - truly a descent into a maelstrom to contemplate the infinite variety and permutations that they have with this one Primula species. Love it when something gets taken to the limit.

This is an excellent mat-forming perennial with handsome leaves and 1" amber orange flowers with a glowing red center in May-June and occasionally thereafter. Tough little dude getting a foot or more across with semi-evergreen leaves and best in decent soil that doesn't dry out. Long-lived too - always a plus.

A superb smaller evergreen Solomon Seal from China which we have grown for many years and have come to regard as an indispensable part of the collection - one of the first plants we would grab when the greenhouse catches on fire, perish the thought! Milder gardens, glossy leaves, clustered white flowers and bright red fruit. Often an epiphyte.

Classic name for what must be an English selection with amber tawny yellow flowers - in the US with our bright yellow squeeze bottle mustard, it would have to be an old forgotten bottle of mustard indeed. Easy doer we got from that consummate English plantsman David Mason and he didn't steer us wrong. Wide leaves backing stems with umbels of pub mustard flowers with a white eye.

A very graceful conifer from Mexico and Guatemala that is looking like a great candidate for our zone 8-9 gardens. New leaves droop fetchingly giving this a lissome almost weeping appearance. This will eventually get big but not in your lifetime as it is slow. Best in filtered sun or light shade.

From our seed collection from the alpine rock scree of our neighboring Olympic Mts of this exquisite Jacob's Ladder. Compact caespitose plants with soft pinnate leaves and copious blue flowers that are just perfectly this side of too much. This one plant made the long steep hike worthwhile! Rock or crevice gardens.

Chinese May Apple. This is an impressive plant - truly one to give the shade garden some visual impact. Big leaves get up to 18" across with bizarre clusters of red flowers held beneath which are followed by bunches of green cherry tomato-like fruit ripening soft yellow.. Rich moist soil in shade to bits of sun.

A selection by the late plantsman and plant hunter Michael Wickenden of Cally Gardens from his collection in the Mishmi Hills of India. Aptly named for the late summer display of small deep red-pink flowers, these are nicely displayed over the broadly rounded leaves, which when given enough sun, take on purple coloring.

One of those dramatic ferns which cannot help itself from stealing the spotlight. This spreading Chilean relative to our Deer Fern loves a rich, moist spot where it makes a colony displaying its awesome-by-anyone's-definition leaves. Leaves, which in the endless buffet of nutrient-laden compost and with ample water, can reach 4'-5' tall. Evergreen except in hard winters.

This Lady has a lot to offer and the image of a Madam in a high-end Victorian brothel keeps intruding when attempting to describe those offerings. Courting disaster on the precipice of good taste, exuding confidence without apology, this selection invites anthropomorphism like few others. The rich pink of passion on the reverse, a chaste white on the front with pink-tinged petal margins awakening.

Our collection of what we presume to be the species psilophyllus although the immature seed capsules match corymbosus. Time will tell and either way, a fine deciduous shade tree with panicles of white flowers in May and June. Flora of China does not list either species as growing at the collection location which is cool.

Consistent and attractive yellow/cream streaked leaves on this Solomon's Seal adds a splash of color and collectible panache to the shade garden although this will take a bit of sun as well to no detriment. The usual white hanging bells on slightly curved 18"-24" stems. Tough, easy, good increaser, hardy and very cool - looks like all of the key boxes just got checked!

Our collection of this verticillate (leaves in a spoke or whorled arrangement on stem) species from a chilly mountain summit at almost 11000'.  Even at this elevation, there was still active grazing by domestic animals and tasty morsels like this were to be found only in the embrace of woody and unappealing shrubs like Berberis.  Wreathed in gloomy and mysterious hill fog, the red fruit on this Polygonatum shone like baubles most desirous.  A smaller species, upright 16"-24" tall and fairly sun tolerant if that is your only choice rather than the preferred part to light shade. Fresh divisions of healthy rhizomes.

Red Panda' was an O'Byrne hybrid seed strain of somewhat variable copper-leafed beauties and we sell the best we have seen of this strain as 'Red Panda'. We've duplicated the cross with similar results and are calling the progeny 'Red Panda Group'. These are good plants and approach the 'Red Panda' clone.

A hardier form of this species than is currently found in the trade, this is one of the many notable wild collections at the former Peckerwood Garden, now the John Fairey Garden. Awesome blue-green foliage to 3' with hairy surface rhizomes. This will work as a houseplant but if you can grow it outside, why not? Grow in airy well-drained soil and mulch in cold winters.

Sweet hybrid between two of the best Washington natives, Penstemon rupicola and P. barrettiae. This is growing in our rock garden where it excels in poor, well-drained, sandy soil in full sun with minimal water. Nice evergreen leaves and big sugar pink flowers in summer. Ours came from the Columbia-Willamette Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society.