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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

Epiphytic blueberry relative with some of the coolest flowers you will ever see, dark red checkered tubes that are a favorite of hummingbirds. The flowers are a rich blood red and especially voluminous and open in this Steve Hootman selection. Does well in hanging baskets as it produces many arching stems of small evergreen leaves that prefer winter warmth in most temperate areas.

These serve a lot of great purposes in a Kniphofia collection or general plant collection with structural grass-like foliage and bright impactful late-season flowers which ascend lance-like in late summer to fall when most of it's flaming brethren have have lowered their spears, which also means extra nectar supply in the lean season for your pollinator population. In addition to being a late bloomer the species is relatively dwarf and offer nicely gradient-ed orangey yellow flowers. Good intro poker before getting into the more unwieldy but epic larger species.

An intricate departure from the coarser Acanthus commonly found in gardens, this far more diminutive with low, finely cut, thistle-like foliage less than a foot tall and short 16" flower spikes with pink flowers backed by gray-green calyces. Like all Acanthus, this will spread by suckering rhizomes. Unlike all Acanthus, this is frustratingly slow (from a nurseryman's standpoint) and very easily managed if indeed you feel compelled to manage this slow and desirable expansion.

Ours has been in the ground for several years and last year we finally were able to divide off a few pieces to pot up. Full sun and good drainage. Hardy here but perhaps mulch in cold zone 7. Might be ok with the same in zone 6 but we have no experience. Thanks to Panayoti Kelaidis for correctly identifying the species.

One of those 'Botanical Blue' flowers which in this case means a dark lavender with a splotched yellow throat. Fairly rounded crenate leaves tie the bow on this hybrid Gesneriad bred by John Boggan.