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A richly purple selection of this usually pale yellow species, a color which is here maintained in the central eye. This is a favorite in our bed of 70+ Roscoeas for its early show of numerous flowers held among multitudinous vigorous crowns. Kudos to its originator Hartside Nursery across the pond and to Kelly and Sue for ferrying it across.

This wild-collected Sichuanese Polygonatum has the province's signature added spice in comparison to the usual Polygonatum prattii. These grow to only about half the size (3-4") and have attractive red-purple stems, and new leaves suffused in the same peppercorn hue. No chewing required to experience delightful tingling, in fact please don't. Quite hardy, and happy in a shady spot with decent moisture, small pink vanilla-scented flowers.

This species is best known from the clone ‘Chocolate Stars’ which has been around for years and noted for its brownish foliage.  This is not that but does have leaves in shades of copper when first emerging that later morphs into various green realms as the season progresses.  Likewise, the flowers for us start out white in the early part of spring and later are softly lavender.  These are rare second-generation plants from our own wild collection for those plant collectors (Me! Me!) who appreciate seeing alternative expressions of a species.  Fast-growing in moist light shade with white to lavender tubular flowers followed by narrow reddish seed capsules.  This will self-sow so we just pull off the seed-bearing stems leaving the fresh new foliage to fill out the plant.  We leave a stem or two just so we can have a few seedlings to pot up.  Any unwanted seedlings are weakly rooted and a literal snap to remove.

We understand if you have written off Hypericum entirely as a genus, but try not to judge this fella by the sins of his forefathers he's really quite an interesting chap once you get to know him. Eschewing the promiscuity and vigorous advances that has given its family a bad name this species native to Spain's Balearic islands stays quite small and contained, it maintains the redemptive golden flowers you know but the leaves are transformed into minute, lustrously evergreen ones that are not dissimilar to a crinkle-cut fry in silhouette. The stems add to the textural feast of the leaves with their scaly texture. Wants sharp drainage and makes a good rock garden or sandy spot addition.

A clone of black crowberry we received from the late Captain Steele of Bayport Plant Farm in Nova Scotia. Unfortunately with the passing of Captain Steele we no longer have a way of ascertaining the finer points of this plant, nor the origins of its name. So if you know let us know! What we do know is that this low mounding Ericaceous shrub with its glossy black edible berries (requiring another clone) makes an excellent woodland or alpine groundcover!

Plants from wild seed of this Himalayan Bergenia species that we seem incapable of having too many different collections of. Its easy to see why when the red flushed new leaves arrive. Those leaves are smaller than other species and form a nice low mat with dark pink flowers in the Spring. 

Have you also found yourself wondering if Tibetan monks eat strawberry rhubarb pie? When you discover the myriad amazing Rhubarb species that dot the Himalaya its a natural next query. If they do I wonder how they cope with the intricacies of high-elevation baking....Well one thing is for sure they aren't using this species, though it used as a highly valued medicinal for a range of ailments. So valued in fact that there may be cause for conservation concern. So do your part and grow this beauty in the back yard (and treat your bellyaches while you're at it?), huge ruffled dark green leaves form a clump that can get upwards of 5ft tall and wide. The plumes of white flowers aren't bad either. Not for those in the hot humidity of the deep South, unlike strawberry-rhubarb pie.

Usually its the human doing the charming in the interspecific courtship with snakes but this poker has us undulating out from our woven basket docile as can be. The flute-song of its red-orange-white gradient lulls not only us into quiet bliss but a variety of pollinators as well. Tough and strong growing, a good old hybrid from Bressingham Blooms in England.

We have long grown several species of New Zealand Libertia but now thanks to this wild collection by Cody Hinchliff we are excited to try out a Chilean one! In my own Chilean journey I saw this plant growing primarily on rocky bluffs by the ocean, not at all where I expected! Stiff, evergreen, iris-like leaves with the occasional orange hues that are quite tough and provide a great mid-size grass alternative with the added bonus of cheery white tripartite flowers. Happy in heavily wet situations but can also tolerate intermittent drought or drier conditions when established.

A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering

This exquisite Pyrrosia was shared with us by the ever-travelling plantsman Adam Black from his own collection in Taiwan. Imagine our suprise when on a stroll through the nursery with Adam we discovered we were now the sole keeper of this and its twin collection, that is until we got the great pleasure of returning it to Adam's keeping. Conservation at work baby! Now you can join us in that great effort and hopefully if we ever suffer tragic losses you can be our backup! The species matsudae is a bit infuriating taxonomically, in appearance it is VERY similar to Pyrrosia polydactylos, though it can be distinguished by the lack of uniformity in frond lobing. Adding to the confusion some sources have inexplicably lumped it with P. davidii which having many collections of that species is very much different. 

All of this probably means very little to you and you are simply drooling over the felty multi-fingered deliciousness presented outwardly, us too. This has proved hardy for us thus far in our collectors garden and wants the usual well-drained but moist, shady, preferably epiphytic situation as its brethren.

A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering

A Cody Hinchliff wild collection of this long-blooming Arizonan salvia. The long wait to see what species this would be when it flowered was well rewarded with white centered indigo flowers ensconced by particularly dark calyces that received unanimous approval from the staff. Extremely hardy, to at least zone 6, and with all the usual benefits of sage, pollinator magnet, drought tolerant, deer resistant, fragrant foliage etc. 

We are very excited to be offering one of the incredible New Zealand alpine daisies. If you aren't familiar you may want to leave now or you will be a lifelong thrall, with your fellow gardeners playing whip noises from their phone at every mention of another Celmisia you simply must have. If you're already in Asteraceae Anonymous then you are in good company hear with us. Broad felty leaves with a silver-furred underside belie the large classic daisy flowers, a simple recipe that produces untold deliciousness. Needs full sun, sharp drainage, and is maladapted to hot humid summers, though this species is among the more forgiving of these divas.

We found this as a raggedy half-dormant plant in the midst of snow on Jinfoshan in 2010. It has taken us a long time since to both offer it and to appreciate its full-green growing season appearance. Staying quite small, only about 8 inches, and with adorably rounded leaves this isn't going to wow anybody but is an absolutely perfect negative space or filler plant carrying on the solomon's seal tradition of playing nice with everything while not taking up quite so much vertical room as the more traditional offerings.

A unique Bergenia collected in Kashmir and later named by Beth Chatto after a close friend. It forms a neat rosette of highly unusual, bright green leaves that have a strongly tapered, or cuneate, base with a coarse ciliate margin, typical of B. stracheyi. In autumn, the leaves turn a brilliant shade of crimson, plum red. Heads of small white, drooping flowers appear in spring in tight clusters. An interesting foliage plant that may not be to everyone’s taste but is well worth growing for its winter colour and white flowers.

Thanks to our pal Scott Galloway curator of the best Bergenia collection around and creator of the incomparable info source the Bergenlist for the description and photos!

We have long sold the iconic Chilean fire tree but are delighted to finally offer some of wild origin, thanks Cody! The reasons for this are twofold, one we always prefer wild-origin material due to its usefulness to botany, science, and conservation but also because we have observed a fair bit of variation in the Embothrium we have seen in Chile. That same variation is rare or non-existent in cultivation so we hope to begin remedying that, with your help of course! This collection hails from the banks of Lake Llanquihue and has wider leaves compared to its sister collection CEH 2442 but are relatively similar to the standard in cultivation.

Being in the Proteaceae, they don't enjoy phosphorous so be careful what you fertilize them with - it is the P in the NPK ratio to which they are allergic