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When ethnobotanical and ornamental interest collide it's always a plant worth investing in, and this one hits high marks in both categories. The common name paperbush refers to the use of the plant in making paper, notably that used in Japanese banknotes. Meanwhile the specific epithet of chrysantha foreshadows the unique clusters of early-blooming tubular yellow flowers with an incredible scent. Add to that the gently arching candelabra-like form and I can't see why this isn't in every garden possible. 

A very welcome addition to our rock garden thanks to our generous taxonomist, Cody Hinchliff. This native to the mountains of South Africa forms an architectural mound to 3' or so with many stems clad in short, stiff and persistent green leaves. Terminal clusters of small cheery and sweetly scented yellow flowers. Good drainage and can tolerate low water.

A sterling selection of a smaller Agapanthus which has lots of small heads of dark blue flowers, We dug this from the personal garden of our friends from Hedgerows Nursery upon their retirement and moving away. A very choice selection and not to be confused with the clone 'Midknight Blue'.

Riverine Tea Tree. This uncommon to cultivation Tasmania endemic is often found along stream banks in its native setting so can take moister conditions than some other species. White flowers on an evergreen shrub with good flaking bark and getting to 8'-10'. Deer proof as well.

A collection of this rare and usually epiphytic evergreen Solomon Seal from Vietnam by Aaron Floden. This species has in the past been treated as a synonym of Polygonatum punctatum but Floden has determined it to be distinct and reinstated mengtzense as a valid species name. We love this kind of stuff! A small species less than a foot tall with small rounded white bells under the arching stem as the new shoot elongates and matures. These are flowering size and hardy to zone 8 for sure and no doubt can handle dips into zone 7. We have seen this in several areas in northern Vietnam and is always a treat to find. Our plant of P. mengtzense var. tonkinense is very similar and has handled short dips to 10F with no damage to its evergreen leaves and expect the same for this one.

Jim Fox brought us seeds of this rare Chinese Hypericum from Roy Lancaster's garden in England where it is one of the many stars. A shrub of some refined habit with arching branchlets to perhaps 3 feet or a little more with very nice yellow flowers in mid summer. Roy is pretty much God of Plants as far as we're concerned and we're well pleased to have a bit of his garden in our own.

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.

Large green leaves in summer becoming muted somber puce in winter. This either heightens or lessens Seasonal Affective Disorder depending on how much you like puce. We do, so when we struggle emotionally with the unrelenting gray, a stroll by Ballawley keeps us briefly but firmly tethered. Tall rich pink flowers.

Beautiful bulbs of this incomparably garden-worthy species. This is from a slightly more eastern extension to its range than currently recognized and was found just as drier Pinus forest changed to wetter, mixed deciduous forest. Fragrant white flowers with some purple coloration in the interior on stems 8'-12' tall in 3-4 years. A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering

The pure white flowering form of this hardy gateway drug gesner. Has everything the die-hards love about the genus with the leathery evergreen rosettes and amiably nodding open faced flowers. Happy on rock or in a sharply drained situation.

A not often encountered deciduous Agapanthus which we have from the UK.  Flowers are a good mid-blue in bud, opening to a softer blue and impossible to overlook on stems 3'-4' tall.  Once this comes into flower, you know summer is well underway and time to get the garden parties started!  In colder zones, a good mulch over the crown to keep frost from reaching the crown is a good idea.

Our collection of this especially small-leafed form of Ficus which we are referring to pumila as the geography fits. We observed this looking especially nice climbing vertically up a tree trunk to 6' in light shade. We've not tried it outside for hardiness but should have reasonable cold tolerance.

For some reason the evocative cultivar name of this Aspidistra really sells it for me, eliciting extra joy in conjuring up visions of exotic night skies via it's lovely variegated patterning of white dots in varying sizes and distinctness across a canvas of dark green evergreen blades up to 2.5ft tall. As with other aspidistras its tolerant of deep shade and does well as a houseplant (Houseplant with an astrological name, can you get more trendy?). This species is particularly tolerant of cold temps without burning and is also extremely floriferous if you're a botanically minded flower enjoyer who doesn't mind a curious stoop to view them.

I liked the old name of Damacanthus which is what I blurt out when weeding around the spinier Bear's Breeches in the garden. Odd little deciduous woody subshrub of congested twisted stems and stoloniferous habit. It has grown on us over the years and has been useful in the plant version of "Stump the Chump".

An extraordinary variant from Linda Cochran's (of course) old garden which she allowed us to salvage when moving. Distinctly mocha foliage in early spring, with various plant parts retaining dark tones. Notably, the flower stem is very dark as are the bracts enclosing the flower bud. The flowers are lovely, white and richly colored in dark maroon. These are bulbs from isolated, hand-pollinated seed. It will be 3-4 years before these flower but lengthy establishment will result in maximum size.

Chinese Mayapple. One of the great shade plants with just outrageous new growth when the bold and distinctly lobed leafed are colored in ochre velvet with complex dark patterns like something seen during guided psychotropic therapy. Broadly rounded and lobed leaves shield the red flowers beneath. Rich moist soil and avoid direct sun. This a shorter plant and more richly colored overall than the delavayi we offer as a presumptive hybrid. We will soon adopt Dysosma as the genus - maybe in the winter when we can make all the database changes.

Maidenhair Spleenwort. We love common names. We must dig out our 15th century Herbal and read up on how to properly decoct this sweet little fern for afflicting humors of the spleen. Or we can just grow it in a gritty well-drained shaded rock garden and enjoy its evergreen delicate appearance which belies its rugged constitution. This little fern grows throughout the northern part of the northern hemisphere and just has a small foothold in our North Cascades. One of our favorite sights of this fern was when we did the Coast to Coast walk in northern England in the epic rainy summer of 2012 and we walked close to 200 miles through the Lakes District and Yorkshire Dales and Moors. We saw this growing everywhere naturalized on old stone walls, stone bridges and stone buildings. Very attractive and a clue to its drainage preferences.

Incredibly exciting rare ornamental Araliad from Taiwan where it can reach 30 feet tall. Don't be scared by that as it will likely not attain those dimensions in your garden at least while you are the gardener! Broadly orbicular leaves with 3-5 shallow lobes on stout branches makes this a riveting centerpiece. These are likely the first seed-grown plants ever offered in North America and best in mild gardens zone 8 and above. This grows naturally with Schefflera taiwaniana and Fatsia polycarpa and we observed this in Taiwan growing in light to moderate shade but here in the maritime cool sun Northwest, this will handle full sun. Protect these youngsters the first winter or two - it will be so worth it!

Superb and hardy fern from our collection in Mogecuo, Sichuan found growing in thick moss atop a large boulder shaded by Rhododendron bureavioides. Pretty sure on the genus and obviously floundering on the species. The genus has undergone recent revision and names may not yet be finalized. Hardy for us and deciduous.

Our collection of this Asian herbaceous perennial vining member of the Bellflower or Campanula family, this is very distinctive in having narrow and elegant tubular green flowers on a vine to 8'. This will die down each fall but pop back in the spring. This prefers bright shade to part shade and we found this growing in shrubbery in open forest.