While we love the typical redbuds that we’re all familiar with in our garden, only one plant stands out in the genus, as a true shade tree. While most redbuds that gardeners know, mature at 10-20′ tall, Cercis glabra towers above them all at a whopping 50-60′. This long-lived redbud is sadly virtually absent in
Late winter is peak season for our large collection of wild gingers, of the genus, Asarum. Below are a few from this week. The Chinese Asarum forbesii is typically deciduous, although we have a couple of clones, which retain a good percentage of their foliage, which we remove this time of year, for better flower
Wild Ginger Flowers – Part I Read More »
One of our prized confers in the garden is the little-known, Nothotsuga longibracteata. Originally thought to be a hemlock, this Chinese native hails from several of the southern provinces, where they grow on acidic soils at elevations between 1,000′ and 7,000′. Sadly, they are now endangered due to excessive logging. In the wild, they eventually
Long-bracted False Hemlock Read More »
It’s been almost five years, since I extolled the virtues of the amazing Juniperus chinensis ‘Kaizuka’. If you’re a card carrying member of the plant-butchering, meatballs-r-us crowd, this is not your plant. Sadly, because this introduction from Japan’s Yokohama Nursery, prior to 1920 is so widely used in industrial plantings, many keen plantspeople also dismiss
Join the No-meatballs Club Read More »
Two favorites in the Ranunculus family are flowering now in January. The first is the familiar Helleborus niger. Below is our clump of Helleborus niger ‘Sunny Border’ in early January. This Christmas rose prefers a more open shade to even a few hours of morning sun, and very well drained soil that never stays wet.
One of the amazing broad leaf evergreen shrubs we wrote about three years ago is the Chinese Euonymus myrianthus. We were excited then, and are even more so now. Our specimen has reached 8′ tall, on the way to 12′-15′. The glossy dark green leaves look great all year. We’re still waiting for our plant
Many-Flowered Euonymus Read More »
Looking lovely in the winter garden is the variegated foliaged Ilex cornuta ‘O. Spring’. We’ve grown this informal-shaped holly for almost 40 years. Although it’s a male, and consequently doesn’t fruit, the foliage is more than enough reason to grow this, where space permits. The holly is named for the late Otto Spring, so the
O. Spring in Winter Read More »
We typically think of dogwoods of being seasonally interesting plants in spring, but the semi-evergreen Cornus wilsoniana changes that narrative. Despite the clusters of small flowers in May, this Chinese species is most prized for its amazing white patterned bark, which is especially noticeable in winter, against the prevailing background of brown. Sadly, this amazing
Wilson’s Winter Dogwood Read More »
If you like botanical oddities, then the cute Camellia parvilimba is just what you’ve been looking for. This miniature species, is tiny, in terms of flowers, leaves, and overall stature. Camellia parvilimba is the victim of a taxonomic tug of war, with many taxonomists classifying it as simply a tiny form of Camellia euryoides, while
Honey, Who Shrunk the Camellia? Read More »
Below is our stunning, seventeen year old specimen of the Subequal Ironwood, now measuring 30′ tall x 20′ wide. Below, is our plant this week, showing off it’s beautiful fall color in early November. Parrotia subaequalis is the Chinese version of the better known Persian ironwood, Parrotia persica. This is so rare in the wild,
Nearly Equal Ironwood Read More »
