rare plants

John Gwynne Garden

Dodging Debby

While Tropical Storm Debby was soaking JLBG with 4.3″ of rain, I was off to Connecticut and Rhode Island for a presentation and some nursery/garden visits. It didn’t look like I was going to make it, after one flight cancellation and four rebookings, but thanks to several unexpected moments of good luck, our plane touched

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Southeastern Plant Symposium

Southeastern Plant Symposium – Last Call

We’re just over a week away from the amazing Southeastern Plant Symposium. If you aren’t signed up yet, we hope you’ll still join us for the 6th annual version of this amazing gardening event. So, who should attend? Anyone who has a true passion for both plants and in depth knowledge about them. Our symposium,

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Southeastern Plant Symposium

Southeastern Plant Symposium, Raleigh NC – Friday June 7, Saturday June 8

Only six weeks remain before the amazing Southeastern Plant Symposium and Rare Plant Auction kicks off in Raleigh. This annual symposium for plant nerds takes place on June 7 and 8 at the North Raleigh Hilton in Raleigh, NC. The symposium, a collaboration between the JC Raulston Arboretum and Juniper Level Botanic Garden, brings together

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Grass of Parnassus

In flower now at JLBG is the rarely seen, Southeast native, Parnassia caroliniana. This amazing, but difficult to grow bog perennial begins flowering for us in mid-November. Even more odd than the plant itself, are it’s relatives. It’s a member of the Celastraceae, meaning its cousins include the genus, Euonymus, and the bittersweet vine, Celastrus.

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Tressing Up for the Fall Dance

Here is one of our bog gardens showing off the lovely native Spiranthes bightensis ‘Chadd’s Ford’, wrapping up its flowering in early November. This easy-to-grow native orchid is right at home with sarracenias (pitcher plants) in very moist soils. Despite its popularity in gardens, Spiranthes bightensis has a global rarity rank of G1, meaning it

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Schocking Gold

One of favorite native trees is looking stunning in our parking lot. Acer rubrum ‘Schocking Gold’ was discovered by NC plantsman Richard Schock near his home in Boonville, NC. Richard shared his find with us in 1993, and we subsequently named the tree after him. Occasionally, when we’ve seen it offered, it’s listed incorrectly as

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Garden Shots

Here’s an early June shot from the garden. The conifer in front left is Picea abies ‘Glauca Pendula Oxtail’. The weeping conifer in the distance is Cupressus glabra ‘Raywood’s Weeping’. The bright shrub in the distance is Ligustrum lucidum ‘Marble Magic’. Delve more into the world of woody ornamentals during the upcoming Southeastern Plant Symposium

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Minimally Endangered

Flowering now is the Federally Endangered hardy cactus, Escobaria minnima. Our plants are now almost five years old from seed. We are thrilled to see that these have performed so well, sailing through our 11 degree F. winter this year. This extremely rare gem (G1 rank) is only found a single rock outcrop in Brewster

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