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1703 products
Perhaps the penultimate perennial in our shade garden. This Asian False Solomon Seal species reaches the pinnacle of expression in this pink-purple flowered form. In time, this will develop thick stems variably black or green and less commonly coated in a subtle pale peach fuzz of small hairs. These impressive shoots arise from the soil in spring as if the imaginings of some wild fever dream about asparagus. At full maturity which will take some years, these will be pushing 6' in height and when in flower will render even the most consummate gardener speechless.
(David Culp, author of 'The Layered Garden', was not without speech when he dropped to his knee upon seeing this blooming but the words were disconnected and for the most part unintelligible. He said almost a year later in conversation "You know, that was was just one of those moments in your life").
The large panicles of small pinkish purple flowers appear usually the first week of June for us and own the shade garden. We have many striking plants in the garden but when Martha Stewart Living wanted to know when to come out and shoot the garden, we said "First week of June - Maianthemum oleraceum will be blooming". It will be a few years before these become contenders for the best thing in your garden but if ever a wait was worth it, this is that wait.
As they begin to emerge and unfurl, the huge trifoliate leaves catch the 30"-40" threadlike spadix appendage dangling from the white-striped, maroon-purple hooded flowers and carry it aloft in a decidedly wanton display. The horizontal rhizomes will increase over time leading to several flowering stems, becoming something about which one has no recourse but to brag shamelessly. This Jack in the Pulpit has proven itself over many years to be a stellar performer in our shade garden. There are some Jacks that languish or don't persist but this simply gets bigger and better every year. The rhizomes can push up near the surface so check in the Fall and mulch if necessary - most prudent in the event of severe winter cold. Seed-grown, these are still small tubers but of all the things you have waited for in your life, this surely must rate among the most worthy.
A vigorous cross between our native stream orchid Epipactis gigantea and the European marsh orchid, E. palustris. This will make lots of stems to 18" with small flowers whose various parts are colored in orange-red, brownish and yellow and white. Easy given a rich moist soil and hardy to Z5.
One of the finest False Solomon Seal's around and rarely obtainable. These are spirit-breakingly slow to grow from seed. However, these are of such perfection when mature with stout 24"-30" stems arching gracefully and each bearing a terminal plume of flashy white flowers that once again we forsake common sense for beauty.