Most gardeners know the genus, Chamaecyparis (false cypress) only through the Asian members other genus. Chamaecyparis obtusa (Hinoki Cypress), and Chamaecyparis pisifera (Sawara Cypress), both of which are commonly grown landscape staples. All the time, our native Chamaecyparis thyoides (Atlantic White Cedar) remains in horticultural obscurity. Boat enthusiasts, and cedar shingle makers both value these
The Atlantic White Cedar Mystery Read More »
For years, I assumed olives would not be winter hardy in our formerly Zone 7b garden, but after killing several clones in our attempts to confirm this, we finally found success in 2006 with the self-fertile, Olea ‘Arbequina’. The name Arbequina, comes from the Spanish village Arbeca, where this hardy olive cultivar originated in the
The Color of Olive Read More »
In 2012 we received a small shipment of plants labeled Rohdea japonica, from the former Chen Yi Nursery in China. Although we grew many cultivated forms of the species from Japan, we were curious what it looked like in the wilds of China, since we’d never been able to study it there. We also ordered
Traveling down Rohdea Road Read More »
We love the evergreen Viburnum ‘Moonlit Lace’, a hybrid between Viburnum davidii and V. tinus, but are disappointed at the growth sizes given by on-line vendors. The largest mature size I found on-line is 4′ tall x 5′ wide. Our 8 year old plant below is now 7′ tall x 10′ wide. This is growing
Moonlit Lace – Supersize Me Read More »
I just snapped this photo of the amazing Ulmus parvifolia ‘Golden Rey’ last week, looking absolutely fabulous. We wish it didn’t seed around so much, as we really love everything else about this 1989 introduction from Oklahoman, Bruce Rey.
While walking around the garden recently, we spied a bright gold sport on a patch of Juniperus conferta ‘Sunsplash’, that had sent out several all gold branches. Sports are fairly common on an array of garden plants, but few ever wind up having any garden or commercial value. We like the brightness of the gold,
In full flower now, is yet another member of the Chinese gesneriad genus, Hemiboea. Hemiboea cavaleriei is a rarely cultivated species and forms a spreading mass to 30″ tall x 7′ wide in only 2.5 years. For us, flowering started in early October, and will continue until frost. In China and neighboring Vietnam, it grows
Boea Unconstricted Read More »
Looking great in the garden now is the amazing southeast US (coastal NC south to northern Florida) native, Coreopsis palustris ‘Summer Sunshine’. Our 2000 introduction has rated at the top of the list at the famed Mt. Cuba native plant trials. It’s nice when one of our introductions get the independent adulation it deserves. Although
A few years ago, I was fascinated to see a catalog listing for a new ornamental grass that I didn’t know, Calamagrostis ‘Cheju-Do’. This struck my eye because calamagrostis are great ornamental specimens, and in 1997, I had the opportunity to botanize Korea’s southern island, Cheju. We subsequently acquired a specimen, which prospered for us,
This October marks our first flowering of Musa aurantiaca, a little-known species from the Arunchal-Pradesch and Assam region of India, into surrounding Myanmar and Tibet. We love that both the flower and developing bananas are both bright red. So far, our plant has sailed through winter temperatures of 11 degree F, with no problems. Thanks
