This spring, we posted photos of the obscure Japanese native woodlander, Ainsliaea cordifolia, but we wanted to follow up with the same plant in riotous bloom, as we move into late October. There are actually 57 species of this Aster family genus, all from Southeastern Asia. Growing Ainsliaea in your home garden is certainly a
Ainsliaea in Riotous Bloom Read More »
Spiking over the last few weeks before finally opening is the crazy agave relative, Beschorneria ‘Ding Dong’. All of us who have crazy relatives, can relate to family members that are somewhat off of the bell curve. Beschorneria has thick, evergreen, spineless leaves, and flower stalks that look like Christmas lights on LSD. Beschorneria ‘Ding
Ding Dong…Who’s There? Beschor-who? Read More »
Reineckea carnea is a plant in need to better PR firm. Despite offering this several times, sales are always miserable, while its cousins, liriope and ophiopogon are readily accepted into both home and public gardens. I think reineckeas are rather amazing evergreens, looking great as you can see below, as we move toward mid-January. Not
Searching for a better PR Agent Read More »
Okay, how many out there are growing kungias? Be honest, now! Kungia is a little-known genus of only two species of succulents, native to Gansu, Shanxii, and northern Sichuan, China. The majority of plants that look anything like this are almost all native to the deserts of Africa, so it’s not surprising that our Kungia
I just snapped this photo of one of the most fascinating summer-growing aroids in the garden. Englerarum is the Charlie Brown of the hardy elephant ear like aroids. It looks somewhat like an alocasia or colocasia, but after taking a DNA test in 2013, was kicked out of both genera, and left to its own
Unwanted and Un-loved Read More »
Flowering this week is the little-known Asian member of the carrot (Apiaceae) family, Pternopetalum latipinnulatum. This oddity hails from both China and a single population in Arunachal, India, where it grows on forested slopes between 2,000′ and 7,500′ elevation. The 15″ tall clumps are perfect for gardeners who are really into BIO (botanical interest only)
Cornering the market for plants which have no market – Pternopetalum Read More »
We’ve spent the last few years assembling a collection of species camellias, many of which are quite dainty, and very different from what most gardeners think of, when they hear the genus Camellia mentioned. Flowering today is Camellia euryoides, the camellia that looks like a Eurya, with small pendant white flowers. Eurya is an even
Eurya-like Camellia Read More »
In the plant nerd world, certain plants are referred to as BIO plants. This means they are so odd or so poorly named, that they will be relegated to the world of “botanical interest only” (BIO). These are indeed, plants that only a mother could love. I couldn’t resist sharing a winter photo of our
Here’s a winter-flowering shrub that few people have grown. Flowering now in the garden is the evergreen Chimonanthus zhejiangensis, a little-known relative to the more popular, deciduous Chimonanthus praecox. This is a small genus of only six species in the Calycanthaceae family, all native to China. Our plants originated from seed from the Shanghai Botanical
Zhejiang Wintersweet Read More »
Flowering in the crevice garden in early November is the little-known South African bulb, Strumaria discifera ssp. bulbifera. These hail from the winter wet/dry summer region of the Western Cape, and have been right at home in the ground here since 2018. Okay, so it’s not as flashy as a tulip of daffodil, but to
Strumming on a Strumaria Read More »
