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A interesting oddity from the annals of the Far Reaches nursery catacombs. In yonder days we brought back on our jolly jaunt to the UK plants of Primula poissonii from our esteemed colleagues at Rumbling Bridge nursery, so enthralled were we with our species plant that we had the audacity to write (true) on the tag, inviting a curse of wanton succubus primulas which promptly assaulted our chaste new acquisitions. We have suspicions that the the lascivious demons to blame were somewhere in the spectrum of P. wilsonii but who's to say. Their sin-stricken offspring are more loosely held and a bit darker than poissonii. Romance novel fans, this one's for you.

A well toothed and lilac-flowered cultivar of this primula that has coped well with less-than-perfect conditions and is considered easily open-grown or placed in a rock/alpine garden. Keep from too much wet to fully enjoy the farinose dusting of the foliage. These were said to originate from the trenches of the Napoleonic wars, echoing a time-honored symbology of regrowth after war-time.

Our collection from a compact population near the summit of Leigongshan in 2010. These were exceptionally handsome rounded evergreen shrubs with clusters of small white flowers in June and umbels of red berries in the fall. This will become a familiar plant in the landscape in years to come. A subsequent collection from the same population has been given the name 'Thunder's Dwarf'

Another of the maybe mantoniaes, which is to say the hybridity is up for debate, as is the proper cultivar name (Bifido-multifidium and Bifido-cristatum are also in use), what isn’t up for debate is the really cool cresting on this Polypody with dichotomous branching at the frond apex as well as variably expressed splitting at the end of each pinnae creating a look like a row of bones. Makes me think of pirates every time I see it, and who couldn’t use more time out of their life thinking about pirates. It’s the pirate polypod life for me yarhar. 

The myriad of skinny little wimp linguas flee before the broad shouldered chad heteractis with its rippling dimorphic chest hair of stellate boat-shaped rays and rich wooly under layer, so says the Flora of China's arcane key . At least that's how I remember it. All this to say that this exciting little number we collected in Yunnan boasts wider fronds and more uniformly attractive indument than the more commonly offered Pyrrosia lingua. Rare to see this species in cultivation (though it's possible some linguas or "sp."s in the market are actually heteractis) and the elevation of this collection leaves some question as to its hardiness as compared to those finally reaching the mainstream but rarity and risk often go hand in hand.

A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering

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.