evergreen foliage

Aspidistra elatior 'Morning Frost'

Morning Frost

The cast iron plant, Aspidistra elatior ‘Morning Frost’ is looking particularly dapper in the winter garden. We think the variegated cultivars of cast iron plants provide a lovely touch of brightness in the winter woodland. Typically, cast iron plant foliage lasts for 2-3 years, and by year three, it begins to look ragged. Every spring,

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Selaginella tamariscina 'Golden Sprite'

Golden Sprites

We love the winter color forms of the fascinating spikemoss, Selaginella tamariscina. This Asian (China, Japan, Korea, Russia, India, Taiwan, Thailand, and Philipines) native naturally has solid green foliage, but through the centuries, Japanese gardeners have made countless selections with colored foliage. I’m particularly fond of Selaginella ‘Golden Sprite’ (below). In growth, these make very

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Microbiota decussata 'Prides' in winter chromoplast phase

Chromoplasticity – It could be happening in Your Garden

Our patches of the evergreen conifer, Microbiota decussata ‘Prides’ have switched from their summer coats of green to their winter coats of bronze. The same occurs on a number of plants in the genus Thuja, Cryptomeria, and Juniperus. I have a few folks each year ask how to keep conifers from going bronze in winter,

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Helleborus niger ssp. macranthus

The Roses of Christmas

With the consistent cold of late December/early January in our area, the flowering show of Christmas rose, Helleborus niger is lasting longer than is normal for us. These amazing evergreen perennials hail from Europe’s Balkan region. We find they thrive the best for us in very light shade or a couple of hours of morning

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Yucca rostrata 'Sapphire Skies'

The Rising Sapphire Skies

Our specimen of the North American native, Yucca rostrata ‘Sapphire Skies’ is looking quite lovely in the January garden. This is one of the tallest of the hardy blue-foliage soapworts, thriving well into Zone 6, and south through Zone 9. This clump is sixteen years old this year, so it’s officially entering adulthood, when growth

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Rohdea x japensis 'Super Fruit'

Super Fruits

We’ve just named the third selection of our Rohdea x japensis (Rohdea japonica x Rohdea chinensis) hybrid this winter, this one for its incredible fruit show. We’ve christened this Rohdea x japensis ‘Super Fruit’. Later this winter, we’ll divide our original clump and start down the production pipeline, which should take about 5-6 years to

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Reineckia carnea

Searching for a better PR Agent

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

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Ilex 'Emily Brunner'

Being Fruity isn’t always a Bad Thing

Looking good in its full fruit mode in mid January is the holly, Ilex ‘Emily Brunner’. This hybrid of Ilex cornuta and Ilex latifolia has proven to be one of the best specimen hollies we grow. A mature specimen is 20′ tall x 20′ wide, so if you’re planting this, give it enough space. Years

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