Imagine our surprise, when the odd evergreen vine, Kadsura longipedunculata began flowering for the first time last month. This woodland vine hails from Southern and Western China, where it’s prized for it’s medicinal uses. Reportedly, it is used to treat arthritis, cankers, digestive issues, infections, and as a perfume. This member of the Schisandraceae family
Perhaps you will read this post and decide you have not learned anything, so forgive me in advance. But some occurrences in the garden are just so charming they require nothing more of us than to just enjoy. This photo of a happy family of five voodoo lily flowers caught my attention. They appear to
Eavesdropping on Amorphophallus Read More »
Calanthe is a genus of 235 species of terrestrial orchids. For us, the foliage remains evergreen through the winter, unless the winter temperatures are severe. We are still testing to find how many species are winter hardy here in Zone 7b. We have so enjoyed their amazing show over the last few weeks. Here are
Craving Calanthes Read More »
Trillium oostingii by Doug Ruhren Trillium season does truly start at the turn of the calendar year, in a small way one might argue, but indeed the earliest do start in late December and early January, just foliage at first but it is the mottled foliage of the sessile trilliums that is so beautiful. One
The earliest of the Jack-in-the-pulpit species have begun to flower, starting with the consistently early Arisaema ringens. All of the arisaema shown below are woodland plants that thrive in rich, but well-drained, average to slightly moist (mesic) soils. Explore our full arisaema collection. Next in line this spring was the alluring Japanese, Arisaema mayebarae. A
One of the wild gingers that consistently sails through our winters without a blemish is the shockingly hardy, Asarum crassum. Asarum crassum is endemic to two small uninhabited islands off the south coast of Japan, Ucchima and Ujimukaeshima. Where they grow in the wild, the temperature never freezes, so, why are they so winter hardy? The
The first of the cobra lilies are up and flowering already. Arisaema ringens is already in full flower at JLBG, sporting its diabolical-looking inflorescences, tucked among the tropical looking foliage. This is one of the easiest arisaema species to grow over a wide range of climates. Hardiness is Zone 5a-9b.
Cobras are Active Read More »
One of our goals at Juniper Level Botanic Garden is to secure a wide diversity of species and, where possible, a wide range of genetic material for each species. Our specialty collections focus on preserving genetic germplasm through ex-situ conservation, scientific and taxonomic research, plant breeding, and sharing of unique, native, and rare perennials. Here
Genetic variability is the spice of life! Read More »
The bright red fruit of Rohdea japonica, the Japanese sacred lily, are showy all fall and winter so we wait to collect them until after our Winter Open Garden and Nursery so our guests can enjoy them and realize that this is another ornamental aspect of Rohdea. The fruit are worn by these plants like
False Advertising Read More »
One of our frustrations in introducing little-known plants is that they often don’t sell well, despite being superb garden plants. One such is Dryopteris stenolepis. Dryopteris stenolepis is a beautifully symmetrical evergreen, 18″ tall x 3′ wide clumping fern that hails from streamside slopes at 2,000′-7,000′ from India and Nepal and into southern China and
Narrow Scale Fern Read More »
