High Flying Loquat
This very rare Japanese selection isn’t the most vigorous loquat we’ve ever grown, but it is one that we weren’t going to give up on until we were able to get it established.
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Mystery Maple
We’re all familiar with maple trees, but one of our favorite smaller maples in the garden is the little-known, single-lobed, evergreen Acer cordatum. This fascinating group of maples have foliage that looks nothing like what most people know as a maple. This Chinese species was formerly considered a form of Acer laevigatum, before being elevated
Hairy Backside Maple
Looking quite stunning is the garden, is the Eastern Chinese (Anhui, Zhejiang provinces) native, Acer pubipalmatum. Our 13 year old specimen is now 15′ tall. Related to the more common Japanese maple, Acer palmatum, the main difference is the pubescent (hairy) leaf backs. If that isn’t complicated enough, taxonomists then lumped Acer pubipalmatum with Acer
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Japanese Maple Spring
On a recent trip to visit our friends at Garden Treasures, we found our collection of Acer palmatum cultivars expanding once again…the nature of our OCD affliction. The diversity of the genus is quite amazing, as our collection at JLBG now tops 90 different selections. Below are a few that I photographed recently in the
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Frozen Fountain
Even unclothed, Styrax japonica ‘Fragrant Fountain’ still provides great winter interest with it’s weeping branches, like a fountain frozen in time. This gem from Oregon nurseryman, Crispin Silva, is slow growing and should mature around 8′ tall x 8′ wide. Our garden specimen has been in the ground since 2008. Zone 5a-8b.
Redneck Maple, All Grown Up
One of the first plants we ever put in the ground, when we purchased the first piece of land that would become JLBG, was the red-twigged Japanese maple, Acer palmatum ‘Sango Kaku’. It didn’t take long before the red no longer showed on the branches, and while we were quite disappointed, we allowed the specimen
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A Sharp Heart’s a Bustin
The deciduous Korean spindle tree has been looking quite sharp for the last month. Native to Japan and Korea, Euonymus oxyphyllus is a small tree, usually to only 8′ tall in cultivation, that brightens the fall garden with its showy fruit. Reportedly, it can reach 25′ with great age, but that certainly wouldn’t be in
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What’s Up Doc? 85 Carats, that’s what
Looking absolutely fab in the garden now is the native dogwood selection, Cornus florida ’85 Carat’. You’ve probably never heard of this, because it hasn’t yet been commercially introduced. We acquired this in 2006, from former PDNer Jon Roethling (now Director of Reynolda Gardens), who discovered it on an Interstate 85 off ramp in Gaston
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Geisha Gone Wild
Our Japanese maple, Acer palmatum ‘Geisha Gone Wild’ is looking rather dazzling this spring. This Buchholz Nursery introduction has amazing variegated foliage, purple with a red edge. Our plant has now topped 10′ tall after 12 years.
Aesculating the Buckeye Battle
Flowering this week in the garden are two stunning buckeyes, Aesculus pavia ‘Splendens’ (native from Ohio through Texas) on the right, and its offspring, Aesculus x carnea on the left. Aesculus x carnea is a cross of Aesculus pavia and the European Aesculus hippocastanum. It’s hard to imagine two more showy trees for the spring
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