New and Restocked Plants

This is a beloved shrub to small tree species notable for flowering young with nodding white flowers which are best viewed when you can look up into them such as ours on a raised bed. Original introductions likely from Japan have red stamens but this collection of ours differs with yellow stamens.

A seldom-seen species of Sweet Pepperbush from our seed collection in the wild where it was leafless branches and a multiplicity of small finger-like panicles bedecked with small seed capsules.  This has proven itself in the garden here with a profusion of summer white flowers literally alive with pollinators.

This gesneriad (African Violet family) is from our collection just miles from the China-Vietnam border. Small narrow-necked yellow flowers over evergreen rosettes of leaves. We have seen this species in numerous sites including southern China growing on mossy rocks, fallen logs or epiphytically.

An eyecatcher as evidenced by our friend Brian, with exquisite taste in all things beautiful, when he made the hopeful inquiry "These probably aren't ready to sell yet"  From a Malaysian botanic garden, this has sumptuous burnished metal leaves on the uppers with rich red undersides.  White/pink flowers are not needed.

Our collection from an area little visited by Westerners and part of our ongoing effort to collect and grow comparative specimens from across its range in Vietnam and China.  Same genus as Lipstick Vine, this shrubby gesneriad has proven hardy in mild gardens here in western Washington.  Tubular red-orange flowers.

Our collection of this as yet unidentified Gentian from an isolated peak with difficult access.  This was growing on steep open banks overhung with Schefflera fengii and Rhododendron sinofalconeri where it made rounded small shrublets with semi-woody stems covered in clusters of shades of blue flowers.

Our collection of this smaller species from an area little visited by westerners.  This is an ideal species for todays urban gardens as it has a narrower and shorter habit than some tree types. Adaptable to sun or light shade. Terminal slightly descending panicles of whitish flowers followed by showy balls of black fruit.

A very good evergreen fern native to Taiwan, China and Japan which we imported from a specialist in the UK.  Tidy and attractive species reaching 30" wide with fronds to 20" tall, this requires shade to part shade.  And brace yourself - it is tolerant of dry shade!  Happier of course with some water,  Spore-grown by us.

Our collection from an end-of-day hunch-driven venture up a nondescript dirt track into forested hills which remains one of the best two hours we have ever spent in the field. A deciduous species with upright fronds 20"-30" tall on plum-colored stems (stipes and rachis).  Texturally, graceful and light.  Spore-grown by us.

Our China collection of this most remarkable species.  Favoring rich, moist areas which is required to pump up the nearly 6' in length frond volume.  These fronds extend out laxly horizontally which assists in their asexual reproduction from plantlets developing from the little furry balls - careful! - at frond's end.

A collection by plantsman Nick Macer of Pan Global Plants of this choice species which has awaited introduction since Frank Kingdon Ward first discovered it over 70 years ago.  Striking deeply lobed palmate leaves held on long spotted stems with late season pink flowers.  Visually arresting clump, to be honest.

This is the rarest US Magnolia species occurring in just 6 counties in the Florida panhandle. Fantastic species with huge leaves up to 2' or more long and nearly a foot across. On plants young as 3-4 years old, white scented flowers to 10" wide appear in May avoiding frost damage . Dramatic large shrub to small tree.

Lespedeza bicolor can be an invasive pest but this dwarf version from Japan is a non-invasive pixie.  Small blue green leaflets in 3's on a many-stemmed 12" tall deciduous bush to twice as wide or a bit more.  Cute reddish purple pea-like flowers are perfectly in keeping with the tidy presentation.  From a friend on Cape Cod.

A classy selection we brought in from the UK as the pure white clone 'Serenity,' but turns out to be a dead-ringer for this Scottish selection with alternate petals dusted in light turquoise.  At first we were a wee put off and aye, felt a bit of an eejit, but now we ken this a bonny lass and we not be haverin'.

Second-generation plants from our original collection of this large shrub to small tree in southern China.  Glossy evergreen leaves and large fried egg flowers - white petals with a yolk of yellow stamens - in October-November.  A gorgeous plant for mild gardens where frost won't turn the white blooms Camellia brown.

Extremely rare offering of this NW Argentina-SE Bolivia version of the Chilean Crinodendron patagua.  This large shrub to small 20'-30' multi-trunked tree has evergreen leaves and small white bell flowers.  Quite fast growing and is one of the primary species in the Podocarpus parlatorei forests.

Exceptional color form on this compact selection of this very hardy Gentian.  Big magenta buds open to purple-pink flowers in late August to October giving your garden a kick in the pants when other plants are packing it in for the year.  Small enough to work in containers.

Formerly in the genus Cheilanthes, this dryland fern is found in Mexico, Central America and Argentina and just recently, one site in Brazil.  Evergraygreen fronds of fine texture are densely vertical on this smaller fern.  Perfect candidate for the rock garden or container for milder gardens - doing well at Berkeley Botanic Garden

Among our thousands of plant accessions, tall bearded iris are represented by just a single plant - Iris 'Kent Pride'.  This outlier in our collections strategy is sited in one of the choicest spots in the dry garden because it is a stunner.  Rich chestnut-red standards with the same overlaid on yellow around a white blaze on the falls - so good!

One of the sweetest little bulbs imaginable!  Summer dormant with dainty white flowers on 6"  stems appearing in Aug into Sept.  This grows in Portugal, Gibralter and Morocco and is just as happy growing with Madrona in the PNW as it is Olives back home.  Grassy foliage up in fall and winter.

This has grown into one of our favorite plants. Much like an Eremurus or Foxtail Lily in effect with basal strappy leaves and a 4'-6' tall branched flower spikes in May and June with lots of pale peach tinted white flowers opening from reddish-striped buds.  Longest-lived in sandy soils and late summer dormant.

This has been a fantastic Hebe in our garden handling our worst winters with aplomb.  A low 20" x30" evergreen shrub with narrow gray-blue leaves and lots of small white flowers for at least 2 months June-August.  Ours looks great planted with Mertensia maritima and it is perfectly ok to steal this planting combination.

A fine little tight mat-forming alpine from the Wallowas in Oregon that appeals only to the most nerdacious of plant nerds in the elevated stratosphere of alpine plant and rock garden geekdom because this is essentially a small swatch of closely clipped putting green astroturf.  It flowers but you will likely miss it.

A narrow leafed version of the classic Hart's Tongue fern from Europe.  We've seen the typical species happily growing in English hedgerows and closer to home, naturalizing on a shaded mossy brick wall at June Sinclair's garden.  This form is quite striking with it's stiff, evergreen lance-shaped leaves and would be well suited to an artist's garden.

Choice rock garden species from rare wild collected seed from the Tien Shan Mts where they extend into NW China.  This makes nice dense clumps of close set sivery-green foliage and typical Potentilla golden yellow flowers.  Easy care and tolerant of our abuse.

This Asiatic Gentian has fully double dark blue flowers lasting for weeks in late August into Fall and will cause visitors to perform a potentially dangerous pivot in midstep as they are strolling by when they realize they are seeing double so have your waivers all signed. Sun and moist acidic soil.

Our native Fawnlily which grows from California up to BC.  It is difficult to imagine having too many of these but judging from the copious self-sown seedlings in our shade garden, we'll soon see.  Dormant in early summer so they aren't in the way.  Pink flowers, leaves mottled when young.

This is very close to 'Kaleidoscope' and comes from the same Japanese nursery.  Lightly hairy stems hold the pale green leaves with their radially symmetrical chocolate splotches.  Red flowers held beneath the foliage but who cares, really?  It's all about the leaves.  Moist shade and be prepared to be envied.

An as-of-yet undescribed species of Lily Turf from a collection by plantsman extraordinaire Darrell Probst from China.  This has evergreen broadly grassy leaves and nice spikes of lavender flowers held above the foliage.  This whole group of Liriope-Ophiopogon is a taxonomic nightmare so don't hold your breath waiting for a name.  A lovely rarity regardless.

One of the cutest Mondo Grasses around!  This little Chinese species has very fine leaves making a tight little mound which is decorated with white flowers in spring.  The flowers are not what grabs us though as they give way to rounded oval shiny blue fruits that beg to be admired.  Easy in part shade.