The legend of screaming mandrakes of the genus Mandragora is enough reason to grow these fascinating members of the Solanaceae (tomato, potato) family. I’m always reminded of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins 1956 classic, I Put a Spell on You, every time I’m working nearby. We’ve actually tried all four species in the genus, but so far
The Mandrake Lives…Quietly, for Now Read More »
Aloe grandidentata has been a lovely surprise in our hardiness trials for the genus. This caespitose (doesn’t grow on a stalk) species forms 1′ wide dull green rosettes, spotted white, that spread via short underground rhizomes. The plant in the photo below is only 2.5 years old from a single division. We’d killed this twice
Big-tooth Medicine Plant Read More »
(aka: Costus speciosus) Hellenia speciosa ‘Wizard of Oz’ is an amazingly winter hardy form of the typically warm tropical, southeast Asian native crepe ginger. This gem is a 2013 Ozzie Johnson collection from near Yan Ming, Vietnam at 3,900′ elevation. Emerging in mid-June (NC), the thick, fleshy green stalks, quickly rise to 6′ tall. The
One of the great North American native plants that never gets a bad rap is Comptonia peregrina, commonly known as sweet fern. Looking good now, this wax myrtle relative in the Myricaceae family, is usually classified as a sub-shrub. The fragrant, finely textured foliage clothes the 2′ tall stems, which spread by underground rhizomes, to
Straight Outta Compton Read More »
Carpeting the woodland garden now is the North American native spring ephemeral, Sanguinaria canadensis. This widespread wildflower is native to virtually the entire Eastern US. The common name, bloodroot, comes from the red pigment, Sanguinarine, which can be found in all plant parts, especially the underground rhizomes. The red pigment has long been used for
Red Roots and White Flowers Read More »
Looking great, despite our cold winter temperatures is the fabulous North American (Canada south to Alabama) native groundcover, Dentaria diphylla (aka: Cardamine diphylla). This woodland native spreads slowly via a thick rhizome, usually found at, or just below the soil surface. The silver-veined foliage often has a contrasting purple back in many clones. In our
Nothing Munches on Toothwort Read More »
Looking great in mid-November here is Echinacea ‘Tres Amigos’. For us, many of the hybrid coneflowers are repetitive flowering machines, if they are cut to ground after each flowering. And when we say cut to the ground, it could be one of two senarios: if the basal foliage is still looking good after flowering, you
Coneflower Matrix, Reloaded Read More »
After a long and magnificent flowering season, we’re now enjoying the fruit of the Gloriosa lily, Gloriosa superba. This sprawling vine has an odd distribution that includes both the Indian subcontinent, as well as Central and Southern Africa. There are many names in the genus, since through the years, taxonomists have named seemingly every variation.
Something Seedy about Gloriosa Read More »
Flowering now in a shaded part of the crevice garden is the lovely Cunila origanoides (American Dittany). Of the 20 species in the genus of shrub mints, all from the Americas, this is the only one with a US distribution, being found from in a wide band from New York west to Texas. These are
Ctenium aromaticum, or toothache grass, is a native ornamental grass, found naturally in acidic moist flood plains and savannahs from Coastal Virginia south to East Texas. This clump former has thrived in our bog garden here at JLBG, producing a tight evergreen 6″ tall x 1′ wide clump, topped, starting in early June with 3′
Toothaches, anyone? Read More »
