Just finishing it’s flowering for the year is our specimen of Cylindropuntia kleinii. This North American native to the Chihuahuan desert regions of Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, forms a 5′ tall, gnarly specimen, composed of long, jointed sections, that break away as they become attached to anything that tries to pass to near. Many
Although it was discovered by U.T. Waterfall (not making this up), in McCurtain County, Oklahoma, in 1966, and subsequently named in 1970, the Glade Bee Balm, Monarda stipitaglandulosa is still little-known in gardens. This is only found in Arkansas and adjacent Oklahoma, where is grows in glades and open woodlands, over alkaline rock. These odd
One of the most exciting rock garden plants we’ve met in the last several years is the Pine Mountain shrub mint. This recently discovered, but still un-named new species, hails from Pine Mountain, Georgia. In lieu of a formal name, we’re going with Clinopodium sp. nov. ‘Pine Mountain Pink’ for the clone we grow. Once
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If you’ve studied plant migrations, you no doubt realize that many North American species, also have nearly identical Asian counterparts. One such plant is our native sensitive fern, Onoclea sensibilis. In the US, it can be found throughout most of the Eastern US, but we wanted to compare it to its’ Asian sibling, Onoclea sensibilis
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Baptisia ‘Spiked Lemonade’, a 2026 JLBG/PDN introduction, still looks fabulous this week, nearly a month after the first, early baptisias began flowering. By using genes from the little-known Baptisia albescens, the foliage is much more airy, giving the plant a see-thru look. Those genes also create an amazing number of flowering side branches, extending the
Just wrapping up it’s flowering season is the little-known, Baptisia megacarpa. The specific epithet “megacarpa” refers to the large fruit. This very rare (G1/G2) species is known from only a small region of Alabama, Southern Georgia, and North Florida. In the garden, Baptisia megacarpa is one of the larger species, forming a 4′ tall x
A North American perennial selection that’s put on quite a show this spring is Hans Hansen’s dwarf Amsonia hubrichtii ‘String Theory’. Not only is this amazing blue star introduction more compact, but the floral show is nothing short of outstanding. Here it is in our garden, growing beside agaves, a testament to its heat and
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We’ve long admired members of the genus Packera, of which 57 species call North America home. In the garden, however, many species become some of our worst weeds, spreading like wildfire, and choking out every small plant in their reach. One species that has risen to the top of our white-list species is the well-behaved
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One of the most amazingly stunning North American native plants we’ve ever had the pleasure to introduce is Saururus cernus ‘Hertford Streaker’. Below is it in the nursery this week. This perennial is found in swampy bogs from Canada south to Texas. In smaller and more intricate gardens, it’s probably not appropriate since it is
This is the second year, we’ve tried to offer the Southeast US native (Arkansas through Texas) beardtongue, Penstemon tenuis, to miserable sales. It’s always fascinating what sells, and what doesn’t. Below is a photo of our garden specimen this week. This robust grower forms a tight mass of rosettes that give rise in early spring
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