On a recent Saturday morning, I took a little time away from the garden, to visit a couple of local natural areas, prompted in part by our Facilites Manager, Nathan Rahrig, who had located a colony of 3’+ tall Arisaema pusillum nearby. The first stop was a set of narrow streams, carved through a mild
Wild Colors on a Really Good Acid Trip Read More »
When woody plant experts visit, they almost all ask to see our specimen of the Mexican oak, Quercus tarahumara. Named after the Tarahumara tribe of Northern Mexico, this fascinating oak is quite rare in conservation collections, although there is currently a concerted effort to introduce more wild germplasm. At present, the JLBG specimen, planted in
Tara of the Northern Hills Read More »
I’m just back from a recent plant trip to coastal Virginia and wanted to share some trip highlights and photos. Mark Weathington of the JC Raulston Arboretum and I headed north for a quick 2 day jaunt to the Norfolk area of Virginia. Our first stop was the garden of long time garden friend, Pam
Virginia is for Plant Lovers Read More »
Recently PDN staffer Chris Hardison, who heads up our marketing team, noticed an odd green meatball in a local shopping center parking lot. Upon closer examination, he found it to be a specimen of our native willow oak, Quercus phellos. It’s obvious that the low-end mow and blow crew who take care of the plants
The Accidental Green Meatball Read More »
One of our prize plants in the garden is the Tarahumara Oak, Quercus tarahumara. This truly odd oak is native to Northern Mexico, where it resides in the Sierra Madre Occidental Mountain range in the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Sonora, Durango, and Sinaloa. In cultivation, Quercus tarahumara is extremely rare and of high conservation value. It seems that
Outside of the nerdy members of the International Oak Society, few gardeners have ever heard of Quercus x vilmoriniana. This spectacular oak is a hybrid between the Asian Quercus dentata and the European Quercus petraea. Quercus x vilmoriniana has been known in European gardens since 1894, but is rarely seen in US gardens. The hybrid
