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Crocosmia (Montbretia)
This is a wonderful genus of easy-to-grow South African iris relatives whose flower stalks arise from fast-multiplying underground corms. While crocosmias have been hybridized for over a century, many of the fine old cultivars have been lost to the trade. One of the few fast-multiplying forms that still dominate the market, C. 'Lucifer' actually crowds itself out so quickly that it rarely flowers after the first year. We have chosen a combination of old and new selections that have proven to be exceptional performers in our trials.
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Crocosmia 'Jenny Bloom' (Jenny Bloom Montbretia)
Sun to Part Sun Zone: 5-9 30" tall Origin: Hybrid
(aka: C. 'Blacro') Stunning, stunning, stunning...the only word to describe this marvelous introduction from England's Blooms of Bressingham. We have grown a lot of crocosmias and this is at the top of the heap...sturdy, not overly invasive, and very weather tolerant! From underground rhizomes, flat, green, gladiolus-like leaves emerge in early spring. By mid-July, the clumps are smothered with 30" tall spikes of orange buds (RHS 25A) that open into golden-yellow (RHS 17B) flowers! We have only recently discovered the morons in charge of naming this plant actually gave this the cultivar name 'Blacro'...off with their heads! Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #02824
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Crocosmia 'Solfaterre' (Solfaterre Montbretia)
Sun to Part SunZone: 7-10 20" tall Origin: Hybrid
We have long wanted to offer this special crocosmia, but its multiplication rate is far slower than the overly vigorous and consequently better-known cultivars. C. 'Solfaterre' boasts chocolate-brown iris-like foliage, which is topped in early summer with clusters of apricot-yellow flowers. Its unique color combination makes it a real treat to design with in a mixed border. C. 'Solfaterre' has been awarded the prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM) from the Royal Horticultural Society. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #04808
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Crocosmia 'Star of the East' (Star of the East Montbretia)
Sun to Part SunZone: 6-9 32" tall Origin: Hybrid
Open House/Web-Only!
"WOW!" was what we heard from garden visitors here at PDN. This amazing 1912 hybrid from the late George Davison is still one of the top crocosmias nearly a century later. C. 'Star of the East' spreads quite slowly when compared to its more prolific siblings. In midsummer, the clumps are topped with 32" tall spikes, adorned with large, 4" wide flowers that open, a few each day, from the bottom of the stalk to the top. Each flower is a stunning brilliant orange, separated from the creamy center by light brushes of maroon. According to the RHS magazine, The Garden, "C. 'Star of the East' has flowers of a quality and substance which has never been equaled." We agree! Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #04238
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Crocosmia 'Walbreyes' PP 17,165 (Bright Eyes Montbretia)
SunZone: 6-9, possibly colder 20" tall Origin: Hybrid
This new dwarf, free-flowering crocosmia from the UK's David Tristam is topped from July through September with 20" tall spikes of brilliant orange, outward-facing flowers with a deep red central pattern. The sterile (horticulturally neutered) C. 'Walbreyes' was also selected for its ability to continue to flower heavily even when the clump of rhizomes becomes overcrowded. Rotten name...stunning plant.
Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #06403
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Crocosmia 'Walcroy' PPAF (Walberton Yellow Montbretia)
SunZone: 6-9, possibly colder 24" tall Origin: Hybrid
This new crocosmia hybrid from the UK's David Tristam produces 2' tall flowering stalks, each with large numbers of 2" wide, outfacing golden flowers with recurved petals. The soft, sword-like green foliage is nearly hidden by the masses of flowers during the summer months...a breeding breakthrough. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #06404
SOLD OUT
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Crocosmia 'Walrhead' PP 15,587 (Little Redhead Montbretia)
SunZone: 6-9, possibly colder 20" tall Origin: Hybrid
This fabulous new sterile dwarf crocosmia comes from the UK breeding program of David Tristam. Despite the silly name, this gem is one of the best crocosmias we have grown. The 20" stalks that rise just above the soft, green, sword-like leaves are topped, starting in July and continuing until September, with brilliant red-orange (RHS 41A) outfacing flowers...bravo! Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #06704
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Cryptomeria (Japanese Cedar)
We are offering an ever-expanding selection of dwarf and slow-growing Japanese cedars. Although they don’t have the color selection of the chamaecyparis, these evergreens make up for it in their dramatic texture and contorted growth patterns. Many of the varieties that we offer are suited for a small garden.
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Cryptomeria japonica 'Globosa Nana' (Dwarf Globe Japanese Cedar)
Sun to Part SunZone: 5-9 36" tall Origin: Japan
Open House/Web-Only!
This is the best of the mounding cryptomerias with rich green branches, making a most striking clumper...resembling a basketball that was plugged into an electrical socket! You could plant a yard of these and throw away the hedge clippers! A 10-year-old plant should reach 36" tall x 36" wide. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #00652
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Cryptomeria japonica 'Gyoku Ryu' (Gyoku Ryu Dwarf Japanese Cedar)
Sun to Part SunZone: 5-9 144" tall Origin: Japan
Open House/Web-Only!
Realizing that "dwarf" is a relative term, this superb, compact Japanese cedar grows to about 12' tall x 6' wide in 10 years with interesting whorls of densely congested, dark green foliage throughout the specimen. A mature plant resembles a partially melted green snowman sans the corncob pipe, button nose, and two eyes made out of coal...one of our favorite specimen plants. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #00222
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Cryptomeria japonica 'Pom Pom' (Pom Pom Japanese Cedar)
Sun to Part SunZone: 5-9 72" tall Origin: Japan
Open House/Web-Only!
The compact Japanese cedar selection seems similar to the cultivar C. 'Yellow Twig'. The compact, but airy growth forms a 6' tall x 5' wide clump in 5 years, but will eventually develop more of a central leader. We expect it to mature in the 12' - 15' tall range. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #07815
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Cuphea
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Cuphea micropetala (Mexican Giant Cigar Plant)
SunZone: 7b-10 36" tall Origin: Mexico
Thank goodness horticultural amnesty has allowed this Mexican immigrant to remain in the US. C. micropetala forms a stunning 3' tall x 3' wide deciduous clump, topped starting in early fall with small tubular flowers that line the upper 1' of each stem. The flowers open bright yellow, but as the flowers age, the base turns orange-red before the entire flower takes on that color. The results are bicolor flowers so beloved by the butterflies and hummingbirds we have to declare a temporary no-fly zone while we take cuttings. In cold climates, it may be slow to return in spring, but our plants have been reliable to 8 degrees F. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #06807
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Curcuma (Hidden Cone Ginger)
This is one of the hardiest genera of the ginger relatives. The bold tropical foliage, combined with exquisite flowers, make curcumas a welcome garden addition for a variety of reasons. We are thrilled to make available some stand-outs from our trials. Curcumas prefer part sun to light shade and evenly moist soils.
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Curcuma elata (Hidden Cone Ginger)
Part Sun to Light ShadeZone: 7b-10, at least 72" tall Origin: India
Open House/Web-Only!
Curcuma elata stood out in our trials as one of the finest cold-climate garden specimens in the genus curcuma. The huge, bold-textured, canna-shaped green leaves compose the giant 6' tall clump. For us, this is the earliest curcuma to flower, mid-June in NC, when the 1' tall pinecone-like spikes sprout from the base of the plant. Each flower spike is topped with bright pink bracts which serve as a mini-umbrella for the yellow flowers that poke from the side of the cone below. C. elata has been reliably hardy in our Zone 7b garden. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #02004
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Curcuma 'Sulee Sunshine' (Sulee Sunshine Hidden Cone Ginger)
Part Sun to Light ShadeZone: 8-10, at least 18" tall Origin: Hybrid
Curcuma 'Sulee Sunshine' is a new and wonderful curcuma hybrid from Thailand breeder Annop Ongsakul. Developed for the tropical cut flower market, C. 'Sulee Sunshine' has come through two mild winters (15 F). This splendid selection flowers for us from August through October with 9" stalks, topped with long-lasting 8" flower "cones," dipped in pink and yellow. As a background, the 18" long x 8" wide pleated green leaves naturally fold away from the flowers unlike many of the other curcumas. This is an exceptional selection for warm climate gardens, or as an amazing container specimen in the north. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #08547
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Curcuma zedoaria 'Bicolor Wonder' (Hidden Cone Ginger)
Part Sun to Light ShadeZone: 7b-10 72" tall Origin: India
Open House/Web-Only!
This selection of the Indian C. zedoaria was made for its attractive bicolor flowering bracts...solid white except for purple fingernail-sized tips on the end of each bract. The 6' tall, bold, aspidistra-like foliage, with a maroon stripe down the leaf center, emerges in mid-June alongside the pinecone-like inflorescence. We have found C. zedoaria to be extremely easy-to-grow under a wide range of typical garden conditions with the exception of waterlogged soils. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #05680
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Cycas
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Cycas panzhihuaensis (Panzihua Sago Palm)
Sun to Light ShadeZone: 8-10, guessing 72" tall Origin: China
This rare cycad hails from China's southern Sichuan and northern Yunnan provinces, where it was discovered and named in 1979. Its natural habitat consists of dry, scrubby, wooded slopes where it grows on alkaline soils. Its location makes it one of the most cold hardy cycad species. In our trials so far, we have seen no leaf damage at 15 degrees F. When mature, the plant will develop a 6' tall trunk, topped with a ring of stiff "fronds," which emerge green when young but later change to glaucous. Despite reports of very rapid growth, I've seen dead snails move faster than these grow. Supplies are very limited. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #07532
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Cyclamen (Cyclamen)
These tuberous winter-growing Mediterranean natives are best known as the most difficult to keep alive house plant, C. persicum. The much easier and more winter hardy species make great garden specimens if they can be kept dry in summer-rainfall climates. We find that they thrive near the base of a large tree or conifer where they get sun for part of the day but little moisture when they are summer dormant.
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Cyclamen hederifolium (Hardy Cyclamen)
Part Sun to Light ShadeZone: 4-8 3" tall Origin: S. Europe alternate image
Open House/Web-Only!
New crop available 1-1-2010 Who could not help but love these delightful little cormous perennials? From the top of these grey, pumpkin-shaped corms, which sit just below ground level, emerge the striking green and silver mottled foliage in early October, making 6-12" wide mounds. In September, the tiny pink dodecatheon-like flowers poke through the ground just prior to the emerging foliage. By late spring, the foliage dies down and does something many of us wish we could do...go to sleep for the summer. Cyclamen are great in mass and will naturalize in woodland settings where they can be dry while dormant. We prefer to site them at the base or under the canopy of large trees or shrubs. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #01281
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Cyclamen hederifolium Silver Leaf Forms (Silver Leaf Hardy Cyclamen)
Part Sun to Light ShadeZone: 4-8 3" tall Origin: SE Europe
Open House/Web-Only!
The silver-leaf forms of Cyclamen hederifolium are still some of the most highly prized leaf types. We have hand-selected these for their lovely pewter-silver leaves. The clumps emerge from their summer dormancy in September with 6" pink dodecatheon-like flowers. The leaves emerge as the flowering fades and remain attractive all winter, finally going to rest in late spring. We have found that a location at the base of a tree or shrub keeps them dry during the summer which is essential for survival in rainy climates. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #06335
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Cyclamen purpurascens (Hardy Cyclamen)
Part Sun to Light ShadeZone: 5-7, probably colder 2" tall Origin: Europe
Open House/Web-Only!
We have had good luck with this Mediterranean species provided it is planted where it can stay fairly dry in the summer months. In the wild, it is found on alkaline soils throughout much of Europe, hailing from as high as 4,200' elevation, further north than any other cyclamen species. The round patterned leaves and dark pink flowers spring alive in July and August, adding great color to the summer woodland garden. In colder climates, great drainage in the winter is key to good survival. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #00075
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Cynara
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Cynara cardunculus (Cardoon)
SunZone: 7b-9 36" tall Origin: Morocco
Cardoon makes a dramatic evergreen statement in the sunny perennial border with its 3-4' long, arching, ghost-like, jagged soft-gray foliage. Once the 3' wide clumps are established, they are topped with 6' tall stalks of blue-violet, thistle-like flowers in late summer. After flowering, the plants die back to the ground for a month-long rest, then begin growing again. For a striking bold-textured accent plant in the garden, you aren't going to beat cardoon! Well-drained soils are best. Cardoon is one of the plants chosen by the RHS as one of the top plants of the last 200 years. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #04949
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Cypella
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Cypella coelestis (Goblet Flower)
Sun to Part SunZone: 7b-9, at least 24" tall Origin: Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina
(syn: C. plumbea) This South American bulb is little-known but highly prized by the few gardeners who have grown it. The pleated, blue-green foliage on this iris relative most closely resembles that of a young palm tree. From midsummer onward, the clump is topped with blue, goblet-shaped flowers on sturdy but airy, 2' tall stems. Each flower has 6 petals: 3 large blue-lavender ones and 3 smaller tricolor ones of white, yellow, and blue. Although each flower lasts only one day, the succession of flowers will provide color for several months...quite unique and quite wonderful! Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #03735
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Cypella herbertii (Goblet Flower)
Sun to Part SunZone: 7-9 20" tall Origin: S. America alternate image
Open House/Web-Only!
This little-known but easy-to-grow South American bulb has been a trooper in our garden, despite our baking heat and wretched humidity. From April through most of the summer, the 1" wide, short, pleated foliage is overshadowed by the nearly-naked flower stems. The mass of flower stems is topped with ornate, three-petaled, yellow-orange, goblet-shaped flowers (resembling tigridias; for the less horticulturally inclined...patriot hats). Although each flower only lasts a couple of days, a mass of flowers is truly a welcome spot of color, day after day. A sunny, well-drained location will yield best results. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #03967
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Cyperus
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Cyperus albostriatus 'Variegatus' (Dwarf Striped Umbrella Plant)
Sun to Light ShadeZone: 7b-10 12" tall Origin: S. Africa
Open House/Web-Only!
If you've been looking for plants that thrive in dry shade, there aren't many better than Cyperus albostriatus. Although the streaked form was popular with house plant enthusiasts back in the '70s, few people realized its potential in the garden. Few people in the '70s realized any garden potential except for a certain Asian herb. For us, this stoloniferous (not weedy) plant makes a superb groundcover of 12" tall, miniature, palm tree-looking rosettes. Each green leaf is splashed with an uneven silver streaking. Do not plant this close to small treasures, or they will soon be swallowed alive. In 5 years, you can expect a 5' wide patch. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #05732
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| <Crinum] | [Cypripedium - Cyrtomium> |
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