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.

Staggeringly impressive recent introduction of this Solomon Seal species from - wait for it -  Vietnam. Large red flowers snug the whorled leaves on stems which reached 15' tall this year in the garden, and which remain green for us until temps drop below 20F.

Originally introduced by Cistus Nursery from a seed collection at 8000' in La Siberica, Mexico. These have been undamaged in brief nighttime drops to 10F and have formed new crowns after flowering so the show will continue. It is mandatory to have a series of parties when these bloom, btw.

A recent collection of this Zingiberaceae which we have not yet identified.  A graceful species with relatively narrow leaves and very pleasing melon colored flowers.  This is from fairly low elevation and growing both as a terrestrial and as an epiphyte.  In zone 8 gardens, we would mulch well to keep frost from reaching the rhizomes.

A rare wild-origin offering of this hardy-for-us species.  This develops stout vertical stems which hold palm-like leaves consisting of 8 narrow green leaflets.  The late-season pink flowers ignite the pleasure centers which had been happily simmering all summer from the foliar architecture.  Nice to introduce some new genetics

Crazy fern that takes away the need to fuss with growing this from spore as it makes a multitudinous panoply of ready-to-go plantlets on the leaves that will soon have you owning the corner in your 'hood dealing in fern babies.  Remember, if it's a kid, the first one is free.  Warmer gardens or indoors, mulch protect in zone 8 winters.

F2 plants from the original wild collection of this rare species. This is a very handsome thing with superb glossy textured leaves and showy displays of red fruit. Just looking at it, we thought - bummer, can't possibly be hardy but heard from one of the collectors that it handled zero Fahrenheit so woohoo!  We later saw for ourselves the reason why as we climbed on Mt Fansipan, "The Roof of Indochina' and saw this growing near the summit.  A portion of the proceeds goes to support the mission of Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy.

An undescribed species from a recent Hinkley collection in eastern Arunachal Pradesh.  A staggeringly good foliage plant fully clad in large deeply divided leaves and sporting yellow flowers - such a nice departure from pink!  These admittedly mingle within the foliage and teasingly tantalize in their allure.

The leaves held on salmon stems are a soft dark olive green and enhanced by purplish-red undersides.  A rhizomatous type making a very eye-catching mound and this is before the pink flowers take it up another notch.  Underplanted with golden Creeping Jenny - dang!  Good houseplant or summer containers.  Tender.

Great foliage on this Wild Ginger from China which keys most closely to the species caudigerellum. A mist of white spray droplets on the leaves is especially vivid on the young foliage making this very desirable.  Small tan to soft red flowers are a welcome addition. We have seen nice clumps of presumably this species in Vietnam looking fabulous on the forest floor among the bright buff trunks of Camellia trees.

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.

Chicken Feet.  Native to China and named for the floral phalangeal arrangement of small greenish white flowers on thin stems which are quite fragrant.  Widely grown subshrub for its use as an aromatic especially for a tea additive and for medicinal properties.  Useful in the frost-free  or nearly so shade garden.

Alas, most Schefflera you have known and loved have been moved to other genera with just a scant handful remaining in Schefflera.  Perfectly sensible for a very large genus spread over several continents.  These are seed-grown from our plants from the recent first North American introduction.

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

Young plants of a rare offering of this graceful woodland species from the borderlands of China and Vietnam. Upright plants to 10' that rarely branch with expected Schefflera - we mean Heptapleurum - green leaves. Umbels of black fruit in a raceme. Hardiness unknown but let's start with not very. A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering

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.

One of the hardiest of the Aloes, this will withstand short drops into the upper teens but will appreciate shelter against a sunny wall under an eave where it will produce orange flowers for months on end. Well worth trying for some succulent exotica or just fine in a container where it can be brought inside for the winter.  Has done well in outside with careful siting in mild PNW gardens.

We were gifted this from plantsman Ian Barclay of The Desert Northwest Nursery as a potentially cold hardier form from 6000' in Mexico.  We can't attest to that - too much compassion to trial this at our 10F dips some winters.  It is a heckuva container plant rapidly increasing with new rosettes and orange flowers to boot.

This Central American epiphytic blueberry relative calls the cloud forests home and enjoys cool conditions with no frost. Brilliant red new growth, tubular soft red flowers with red calyces followed by darkly intriguing fruit. Will develop a caudiform lignotuber in time. This is a visual feast for months on end.

Luscious variegated selection out of Japan of this small evergreen shrub.  The leaves are heavily frothed and patterned in creamy whites which can take on some pink depending on the season and exposure.  No two leaves are alike on this new wave plant canvas.  Small white flowers under the branches.

Blackberry Lily. Our collection of this extremely widespread Asian species which not only has attractive deep orange flowers that are overlaid in a plethora of red spots but also the seed is curiously attractive looking for all the world like a large blackberry. This has wide application in traditional Chinese medicine and our collection is likely an escapee from the local mountain village.

A very welcome addition to our rock garden thanks to our generous taxonomist, Cody Hinchliff.  This native to the mountains of South Africa forms an architectural mound to 3' or so with many stems clad in short, stiff and persistent green leaves.  Terminal clusters of small cheery and sweetly scented yellow flowers.

Interior Live Oak. Broadly distributed throughout California, from the coast to the foothills of the Sierras, this species is highly adapted to dry conditions. Evergreen, with leathery, rich green and shallowly toothed leaves.  Thanks to xeric plant guru Ian Barclay of The Desert Northwest for sharing his acorn collections.

This species was only recently described by botanist Julian Shaw in 2012 from a collection in Hoang Lien Son range on the second summit trail of Phansi Pu in Vietnam. These are second-generation seed-grown plants from a 2011 recollection by Floden-Mitchell & Wynn-Jones.

A Hinkley collection of this rhizomatous Begonia from 9500' in the far eastern Himalaya. Attractive foliage with red hues and veins underleaf and we presume, pink flowers. Hardiness is unknown but we would mulch it well in zone 8 gardens. Ideally, overwinter frost-free until large enough to divide off a piece for trial outside in your garden. This would be a trial lamb.

Unflowered plants from our seed collection, although attributes and geography suggest a likelihood of this being the species edulis due to widespread cultivation from pre-Columbian times thanks to the edible tubers.  If this is edulis, expect 24 or more pink-tubed flowers with green-yellow throats in a fireworks umbel.  Showy orange seeds in fall.

Nice Sedum from 10000' in Mexico that has more cojones than you might think handling 10F here just fine. This has yellow flowers in late winter-spring from gray-blue rosettes on lax stems evocative of Echeveria on a stick.  Some compulsives cut back after blooming to tighten up rosettes but we go with the flow.

Seed-grown from the clone 'Soft Caress' which is good parentage to say the least.  This will be similar and expressing to varying degrees the qualities of its parent which are good non-spiny foliage with upright yellow candles of flowers on a narrowly vertical evergreen shrub.  It will be good and also a unique one of a kind.

Stunning thin-leafed variant on the typical form of the species which usually sports leathery leaves perhaps 4X wider than this rare selection from the Witch Hazel Family. This does not seem as determinedly upright as the typical species so expect a multi-stemmed textural delight. Small yellowish flowers with reddish anthers in late winter won't stop traffic but are still darned welcome

A very slow-growing tree-form yucca from an Ian Barclay collection near Rodeo, NM. Doesn't need great age and trunk development to produce tall stalks of creamy white flowers which is good because if you are like us, you're buying ripe bananas. Ian is a font of knowledge on cold-hardy, drought tolerant plants.