Veratrum oxysepalum syn. V. album subsp. oxysepalum
This is the Japanese version of our native False Hellebore. Wonderful broad pleated leaves and when old enough, nice spikes of white starry flowers to 3' or more. This likes a rich moist soil, emerges early in spring and goes dormant by mid to late summer. Deer resistant and very hardy. Young plants.
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Anemone ranunculoides subsp. ranunculoides
A choice woodland creeper for the shade or partly shaded garden where it behaves like Anemone nemorosa - making a mat of ferny foliage but in this case, it has vibrant yellow flowers. A patch of this is to be coveted. Very hardy and goes mid to late summer dormant.
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Asphodelus albus
White Asphodel. From Spain to North Africa and over to the Balkans, this has done very well for us in our garden. Narrow leaves in small clumps with flower stems 2'-3' tall and perhaps with greater maturity, to 4', and which bear showy starry white flowers. We also enjoy the darker round seed capsules which extends the interest. This will go summer dormant
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Centaurea nervosa
Very intriguing perennial with intricate light brown flower buds that appear to be spun glass art depicting the skeletal structure of some microscopic sea creature. From the center extends the feathered pinkish petals. While not spectacular compared to a Dahlia, we think it spectacularly interesting but then we are certifiable plant loons.
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Anemone nemorosa 'Virescens'
An intriguing curiosity that combines beauty with novelty. In this selection, the flower petals have become lacy green petaloid structures that are perfectly arranged to create amusing and intricate green flowers. A fun addition to the shade garden.
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Haberlea rhodopensis
Hardy species in the Gesneriaceae or African Violet family from Greece and Bulgaria where it favors shaded rocky outcrops. Our old mama plants fill a 3 gallon pot with a packed dome of evergreen leafy rosettes that give rise to 4"-5" stems with flowers of pale lavender faces and dark corolla base.
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Asarum europaeum - dark leaf clone
European Wild Ginger. Rounded, heart-shaped most excellent evergreen leaves (evergreen in mild winters or our Z8 garden) hug the ground close and dense, hiding the small flowers and their lack of ornament We have a slightly paler leaf clone that is most apparently pale when planted next to this clone.
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Leuzea conifera
Pinecone Thistle. Pretty cool 6"-12" tall plant from dry pine woods and wastelands in southern Europe and northern Africa. The spineless gray-green, thistle-like leaves, are felted gray-white underneath and are a perfect accompaniment to the art project flowers. Tufts of filamentous purplish flowers erupt from hefty cones of overlapping, feathered brown scales.
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Uvularia perfoliata 'Jingle Bells'
A nice find in the woods of North Carolina, this variegated Perfoliate Bellwort is a choice addition to the shade garden. Creamy, feathered markings adorn the margins of the perfoliate leaves which pair nicely with the creamy white flowers. Perfoliate means the leaf surrounds the stem so it looks like the stem runs through the leaf. Slow to increase, we don't have many.
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Morina longifolia
A favorite from the Himalaya, this thistle mimic is pretty outrageous in the garden. Robust clumps of gently spiny leaves and taller stems bejeweled in rank upon rank of long-tubed, white flowers which turn pink when pollinated. Nice to see we aren't the only ones who get a sexual flush during pollination.
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Iris sp. CDHM 14571
Seed collected at 3200 meters in Sichuan in an open grazed small meadow area adjoining low scrub. Tightly clumping, deciduous and allied to Iris japonica but is something totally new. Small blue flowers are laddered down the stems in the leaf axils. This has baffled some of the top authorities on Chinese Iris both here in the US and in the UK
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Disporum smilacinum 'Moonshine'
Gorgeous little gem out of Japan with a rich yellow center to the leaf surrounded by green with some nice feathering details. This will increase quickly but not aggressively and adds a nice splash of color in the shade garden. The white flowers go well with the whole package.
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Lathyrus roseus
This is one sweet Pea. Native to the Caucasus Mts, this takes a backseat to its more floriferous and showy cousins for it has simple pairs of pink flowers borne with restraint. Don't be misled - it is the backseat of a Bentley. Perfection of leaf and flower in exquisite refinement.
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Paeonia mairei
Steve Hootman, curator of the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden, often pats himself on the back for collecting this exceptional species in China and each spring as our plants flower, we murmur attaboys and give him virtual high fives. Loves some shade, great foliage and spring pink flowers.
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Allium schoenoprasum 'Aaland'
Dwarf Scandanavian selection of Chives which is way more ornamental than usefully edible. Lots of pinkish lavender flowers on a very compact plant. Quite useful in the rock garden or detailed planting site such as edge of a stepping stone or against a rock.
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Nolina greenei
This collection is from nearly 6000' in San Miguel Co., New Mexico and hardy down to Zone 5. This yucca relative makes dense clumps of thin grassy leaves to 3' tall and holds the dense plumes of creamy flowers nestled in the uppermost leaves. The brown seed heads evoke fat cigars.
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Bistorta amplexicaulis 'Golden Arrow' syn. Persicaria
Fun newish selection of the recently moved to Bistort from Persicaria with softly golden foliage which is a great backdrop for the 24"-36" flower stems bearing spikes of flowers the same color as Dorothy's ruby slippers. Easy, hardy, bright shade and gangbusters in rich moist soil.
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Cardiocrinum cathayanum H2MD 143
The correctly named true species as what is generally seen in gardens are forms of Cardiocrinum giganteum. The only deviation from the key of 3-5 flowers are some with up to 9 flowers which we attribute to easy living in our garden and variation within the species. This is most closely allied to C. cordatum
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Iris barbatula ex Yunnan
We collected this in 1997 on the Tibetan Plateau near Zhongdian in an area of Tibetan open range. The early October withered, deciduous leaves and dried seed pods shrieked Iris! Eventual flowers confirmed the species, first described in 1995. Thin leaves and basal gorgeous flowers. Young plants.
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Gentiana 'Bellatrix'
This has good, white megaphone-shaped flowers which are liberally, if subtly, spritzed with pale blue spots. Makes a dense small mat of green needle leaves which dies back in winter. Moist, acidic and sunny.
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Anemone nemorosa 'Wilks' White'
One of the larger flowered varieties of Wood Anemone, this has excellent white flowers which are more than enough to stand alone or perfect in a supporting understory role to larger shrubs and perennials.
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Gentiana sino-ornata 'Weisser Traum' (White Dream)
We love the Asiatic Gentians and want them all as they are easy, hardy and put on such a show in late summer/early fall. We were thrilled toget this one from our friend Urs of Edelweiss Nursery who brought this in from a German gentian specialist. Not your typical blue, this has white flowers with pale yellowish stripes. Moist and sun.
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