Looking amazing in the JLBG garden now, is a US National Arboretum accession of the evergreen, Reineckea carnea NA40046J. For those who don’t know the genus, it’s a poorer sister genus to Liriope and Ophiopogon. This exceptional clone makes dense, circular mat, compared to the more typical rangy, spreading habit. This clone was brought to
Crop Circle Reineckia Read More »
One of our favorite clones of the Japanese sacred lily, Rohdea japonica is the clone Rohdea ‘Sekkei Nishiki’. The English translation of the cultivar name is “snow valley brocade”. The narrow, thick, cupped leaves are densely streaked with creamy bands, and it forms a lovely evergreen patch in the garden. Despite these attributes, it’s probably
One of our longtime favorites of the Japanese cedar cultivars is Cryptomeria japonica ‘Araucarioides’. Most authorities have concluded that the original Japanese cultivar name is actually Cryptomeria ‘Enko’. The current name most likely came into use, when the plant was brought to Europe from Japan by German botanist, Phillip von Siebold in 1859. The long,
Puzzled Japanese Cedar Read More »
Looking great in the garden this week is one of our many favorite ferns, Microlepia strigosa ‘MacFaddeniae’. This interesting selection of the Japanese native fern was named for the garden of California’s Fay MacFadden, who got it from California’s Mr. Baldwin Nursery in the 1920s. Most winters it remains evergreen for us, but can become
For the first time in six year, we will once again have enough Fatsia japonica ‘Murakumo Nishiki’ to share, in our January 2027 catalog. Our 8 year old garden specimen of this amazing evergreen shrub, pictured below, is one of the most asked about plant in the garden, so we’re thrilled to be able to
One of our favorite toad lilies, is the dazzling Tricyrtis ohsumiensis ‘Nakatsugawa’, which is looking splendid, now, in the summer garden. This specimen is rarely offered, primarily because it produces so few cuttings. Unlike most toad lilies, that need to flower to be noticed be gardeners, such is not the case with Tricyrtis ‘Nakatsugawa’. When
Toad Lily With a Twist Read More »
Our ten year old plant of Cryptomeria japonica ‘Gifu’ is looking quite lovely. Often sold under the trademark Dragon Prince, this compact selection from Japan’s Gifu Prefecture, is one of the smaller of the “dwarf” Japanese cedar selections. In our good growing conditions, our 10 year old plant has reached 2.5′ tall x 3.5′ wide,
Hosta rectifolia ‘Mito-no-Hana’ is quite striking in the garden this week. This eye-popping selection of the Japanese Hosta rectifolia comes from Japan’s Tenjin Yama Bunen Nursery in Mito City. The leaf coloration is best in open shade or with a couple of hours of morning sun. The leaf vein coloration fades in the intense heat
It’s been a few years since we posted photos of one of our favorite conifers, Thujopsis dolobrata ‘Jurassic Park’. This little-known selection with dense, thick, plastic-like foliage, is most likely a tetraploid form of the wild species. We planted our first typical Thujopsis in 1999, but the cultivar Thujopsis ‘Jurrasic Park’ didn’t go into the
Even unclothed, Styrax japonica ‘Fragrant Fountain’ still provides great winter interest with it’s weeping branches, like a fountain frozen in time. This gem from Oregon nurseryman, Crispin Silva, is slow growing and should mature around 8′ tall x 8′ wide. Our garden specimen has been in the ground since 2008. Zone 5a-8b.
