One of the most amazing native plants we’ve ever had the pleasure of introducing is Aaron Floden’s Triosteum aurantiacum ‘Barry Purple’. Horse gentian is a little-known North American native which hails from mesic woodland from Canada south to Georgia. This deciduous 3′ tall x 3′ wide clumping perennial usually has green foliage, but this exceptional
Spice up your Horse Fruit Gentian Read More »
Raise your hand if you’ve grown the North American native iris relative, Nemastylis tenuis? This fascinating small bulb is in full flower now at JLBG. In the wild, it can be found straddling the US/Mexico border, crossing into the US in two counties each in Texas and Arizona. There, they grow in rocky grasslands, both
A Stylized Iris Cousin – Nemastylis Read More »
Draba is a genus of 431 species of mostly small, rock garden-sized plants in the cabbage family. The majority of the drabas grown in gardens are European, although the US can claim about 100 species. The majority of those are either native to the far West or far North in alpine climates. Only 2-3 species
Podophyllum peltatum ‘Fuzzy Wuzzy’ is a 2015 discovery of former JLBG staffer, Jeremy Schmidt from Calhoun County, Alabama. This is undoubtedly, the hairiest of the American mayapple selections we grow. The foliage emerges with a lovely brown flush, before aging green. If the hairs weren’t enough, this clone flowers light pink, which is extremely rare
Putting on a lovely flower show in the garden is the North American native (PA to Oklahoma) Antennaria solitaria, commonly known as the southern single-head pussytoes. We’ve always had a “thing” for pussytoes, a primarily North American genus of 70 species. Despite being native in acidic soils, our plants below are thriving in our alkaline
Pussy Toes in the Garden Read More »
We were thrilled this week, to find that one of our native wild gingers, Asarum finzelii has produced a plethora of garden seedlings this year. This species from Northeastern Alabama, was only recently described in 2020 by Alabama botanist Brian Keener, who happens to be a speaker for our 2026 Southeastern Plant Symposium in early
Flowering now in the winter garden are several members of the Thymelaeceae family. The more showy of those include the genera Daphne and Edgeworthia. Also in riotous bloom, is their cousin, little-known, not so fragrant, and far less showy North American native, Dirca palustris. It’s also known by its common name, leatherwood, which comes from
The lowly US native arborvitaes still don’t get the respect they deserve. Because they are so easy to grow and propagate, their widespread use in places from trailer parks to fast food restaurants, cause many plant snobs to dismiss them as too common. The diversity in the genus is absolutely amazing, and as a landscape
Inviting Arborvitae Read More »
Through the years, we have grown 21 of the 35 North American native species of bear grass species. Nolinas currently reside in the Asparagaceae family, with the likes of Agave, Dasylrion, Yucca, and of course, Asparagus. One Nolilna species we didn’t expect to be winter hardy is the Sonoran bear grass, Nolina matapensis. This very
Cozying up to a Sonoran Bear Grass Read More »
Since the 1990s, I have been enamored with the weeping red cedar, Juniperus virginiana ‘Hancock’s Weeping’. This native gem was originally discovered by plantsman Bob McCartney of Woodlanders Nursery, in Georgia’s Hancock County. We are thrilled to have this amazing specimen as part of the JLBG collection. Sadly, it’s not a plant that will ever
