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This accidental bee cross between Phyllodoce breweri and Kalmiopsis leachiana arose in Mike and Polly Stone's Scottish garden, Askival. Evergreen small leaves on a low rounded shrublet to 16" and a bit wider. Copious bright mauve-pink flowers can cover the foliage in early summer making this a star in our rock garden.

A hybrid Gesneriad between Briggsia (now Oreocharis) aurantiaca and Opithandra primuloides which we succumbed to at Aberconwy Nursery in Wales. White, bilaterally symmetric flowers touched in faint pink with throats patterned in pink lines. Easy in cool greenhouse but can tolerate some frost, so mild gardens are maybe okay.

Poor Knight's Lily. Crazy good plant endemic to 3 islands off of New Zealand's North Island where it grows in rocky outcrops. Evergreen sword leaves to 3' with stunning red bottlebrush flowers that are like nothing else. It is frost-sensitive and can take 15 years to flower but if potbound, you can shave some years off. The wait will be completely worth it.

Woody member of the Ranunculaceae (Clematis, Anemones) form the East Coast woodlands. Known as Yellow Root, this spreads by underground rhizomes to make a suckering colony of stems which are topped by small purple flowers like a puff of smoke. Good fall color.

A super hybrid out of the UK from crossing the two related genera, Hypoxis and Rhodohypoxis. These genera occur in South Africa and are small bulbous members of the Iris family. While just a few inches tall, these are showy beyond the implied limits of their size and can cover themselves for weeks in large red flowers. Easy to grow and a fast increaser, this will become a favorite. Cold climates can be overwintered inside where cool.

Resurrection Lily. Incredibly tough South African species in everyone's favorite family, the Velloziaceae. Slow-growing tussocks of grassy leaves and showy bright mauve flowers. This is the subject of much research for crop drought tolerance as this can totally dry out (to 5% water) for months and then revive in days with rain. Hardiness is not personally known to us although our source for this said zone 6 but we have the skepticism of years. Fire tolerant, one South African key refers to the blackened lower stems from persistent fires. These are divisions from our one clone we have had for years. Ideal rock garden candidate - good drainage.