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Nannorrhops
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Sun Zone: 8-9, at least 48" tall Origin: Pakistan
Open House/Web-Only!
Until recently, finding seed of this Afghanistan/Pakistan native has proven nearly as difficult as finding Osama. This very slow-growing, grey-green foliaged desert palm is one of the most sought-after plants by palm collectors. This is not the non-hardy powder blue form which was mistakenly lumped by herbarium taxonomists into this species. When established, plants resemble a slow trunking sabal to 4' in 10 years. We have found it marginally hardy into the single digits, so a protected but very sunny spot is best. This palm does not like any shade. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #00911
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Napaea
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Sun to Part SunZone: 3-8 84" tall Origin: USA
Open House/Web-Only!
(syn: Sida dioica) Here is a very cool plant to fool your favorite know-it-all gardener. This US native (from Minnesota south to Virginia) is found in moist prairies, ditches, and marginal wetlands. This hibiscus relative will make even the most avid gardener swear it's a ligularia. The 11-lobed, dark green leaves form a 3' wide basal clump that looks quite saxifragesque. In early summer, the clump gives rise to a 7' tall stalk of white malva-like flowers. We have found this to do best in a moist, partial-sun site. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #03738
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Narcissus
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SunZone: 7b-10, possibly colder 5" tall Origin: North Africa
Open House/Web-Only!
Narcissus 'Julia Jane' is a splendid selection of the Atlas Mountain native, Narcissus romieuxii. The 5" tall clump of flexible needle-thin foliage is adorned in winter with 4" tall stalks of 1" wide, light butter-yellow, outfacing, hoop-like flowers...simply charming. Some years, Narcissus 'Julia Jane' can flower in January, but flowering time may vary up to four weeks based on the weather. This is not your grandmother's daffodil...sooo cute! Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #09017
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Nepeta
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SunZone: 3-7 52" tall Origin: Hybrid
Open House/Web-Only!
This super tall catnip from the folks at Walters Gardens forms a 52" wide, deer-resistant clump of stems, topped from late spring through midsummer with 8" terminal spikes of small blue flowers...who says white cats can't jump? Bright sun and well drained soils produce the best results.
Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #08234
SOLD OUT
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Nicotiana
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SunZone: 7b-9, at least 84" tall Origin: Argentina
Open House/Web-Only!
You will flip...your neighbors will say WHATZAT?...while you make all of your master gardener friends look like idiots as they try to identify this, your newest deer-resistant perennial. The 8" long, glaucous foliage adorns 7' tall stalks...perfect for the back of the border. The top of the stems are further adorned with clusters of tubular yellow flowers from summer through fall. The form in the trade was not reliably winter hardy for us, but we have had good luck with this new accession from 8,000' in Argentina's Salta Province. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #05721
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Nierembergia
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SunZone: 7b-9, at least 10" tall Origin: Argentina
This marvelous Yucca Do selection of the Argentine desert native Nierembergia gracilis is one of the finest plants we have grown for summer flowering in full sun. Unlike most nierembergias, which melt in our summers, N. 'Starry Eyes' forms a tight mound of linear foliage 10" tall x 18" wide. From spring until fall, the clump is smothered with up-facing, light lavender bells. Good drainage and 6+ hours of baking sun is required for best performance...absolutely outstanding! Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #05660
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Nolina
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SunZone: 7b-10, at least 144" tall Origin: Mexico
Open House/Web-Only!
From the Mexican state of Tamaulipas comes this really cool and far-out bear grass (a little Deadhead gardener lingo). The mature architectural specimens resemble giant ponytail palms, with rigid but not sharply pointed 3' long, silvery blue-green, grass-like foliage to 1" wide. When the 10'-12' tall deer-resistant clumps mature, a 4' tall bloom stalk will rocket forth with thousands of tiny white flowers! To quote the redneck pick-up line, it resembles a parking ticket, because it has 'fine' written all over it. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #01484
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Sun to Part SunZone: 7b-10 240" tall Origin: Mexico
Open House/Web-Only!
According to Carl Schoenfeld at Yucca Do, this is the most distinctive bear grass he has ever seen. The 2" wide, dark evergreen leaves form a billowing, tree-like fountain of foliage atop a central stem that will reach 20' tall with age, resembling a ponytail palm (same genus). When mature, the giant stalks of foliage are topped with 4-5' tall, narrow flower spikes of white. Although this is still an unnamed species, it has proven to be one of the hardiest of all the nolinas, as it was discovered at 8,380' in the dry side of an oak/madrone forest near the Nuevo Leon town of Siberica. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #04760
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Nothoscordum
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Sun to Part SunZone: 7b-10, at least 4" tall Origin: Argentina, Brazil
Open House/Web-Only!
Thanks to bulb guru Thad Howard for sharing this gem. Thread-leaf false allium is a great rock garden plant composed of narrow thread-leaf foliage, topped in spring, then again in late summer, with clusters of small yellow flowers held just above the foliage. This is not a weedy species in a genus better known for its bad behavior. Reportedly, it has a lemon fragrance, but aging knees don't allow me to indulge as freely as they once did. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #07114
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Sun to Part SunZone: 7-8, at least 1" tall Origin: Argentina
(aka: Ipheion sellowianum) This has long been one of our favorite bulbs in the rock garden, and we finally have enough to share. These gems are found in the wild around Buenos Aires...the same area where Rhodophiala bifida grows. N. sellowianum makes a small clump of tiny, narrow green leaves, to 1" tall x 6" wide. It starts flowering for us in late January and produces a steady progression of brilliant yellow fragrant flowers until May. Unlike many Nothoscordums, this one is completely sterile, making propagation quite slow. Each pot contains at least two to three flowering-sized bulbs. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #06448
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Oenothera
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Sun to Part SunZone: 4-9 20" tall Origin: USA
This amazing native, which hails from prairies and similar habitats from Canada south to north Florida, is one of the most stunning plants in the late spring garden. The hairy, woody stalk emerges in spring from winter rosettes, clothed in lanceolate (narrow) green leaves and topped from mid-May thru mid-June with bright red buds, that open to screaming yellow 4-petaled flowers produced on the top half of the stem. O. fruticosa spreads by underground rhizomes, but is nothing like the horribly weedy O. berlandieri. Our 10-year-old clumps are 6' wide, but are easily removed from unwanted areas. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #08719
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SunZone: 6-8, possibly colder 6" tall Origin: Hybrid
This new oenothera hybrid was given the illegitimate name O. 'Innoeno131', so we have adopted their illegal trademark name of O. 'Lemon Drop' as the first properly published cultivar name. This new hybrid from Germany's Innovaplant is a cross of the plant we used to know as calylophus...before the taxonomists got hold of it. This new selection makes an 18" wide clump of woody stems, clothed in narrow green leaves and topped from May to September with a continuous show of round, bright yellow flowers. O. 'Lemon Drop' is a superb plant for the dry rock garden. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #07454
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SunZone: 4-7, at least 6" tall Origin: USA
NEW!
I planted Oenothera 'Shimmer' expecting it to melt away like a cheap popsicle in the desert, but unlike other Midwest/Great Basin evening primroses, this plant is still going strong after three years. O. 'Shimmer' is a hybrid (possibly Oenothera fremontii x Calylophus) discovered by Lauren Springer and Scott Ogden in their Colorado garden. For us, O. 'Shimmer' makes a low 6" tall x 2' wide tight clump of lax stems adorned with very narrow silver-green leaves. The clumps are topped with 3" brilliant yellow, nocturnally-fragrant flowers in late spring and sporadically throughout the summer. A well-drained sunny site is essential for best performance.
Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #08553
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Onoclea
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Part Sun to Light ShadeZone: 3-9 20" tall Origin: USA
Open House/Web-Only!
Named for the sensitivity of the foliage to frost...not political incorrectness, this rhizomatous (spreads rapidly in very loose, moist soils) fern has bizarre light-green, large, lobed leaves resembling a green glove...no relation to OJ's infamous glove. Sensitive fern, despite its name, tolerates the toughest conditions. Sensitive fern is best used in large woodland drifts...either in bog conditions or dry soil. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #00278
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Part Sun to Light ShadeZone: 6-9, at least 36" tall Origin: USA
Open House/Web-Only!
We snagged a piece of this unique deer-resistant sensitive fern from a boggy site in Caddo County, Texas in 2004, because it seemed larger than the norm. In our gardens, this has produced 3' tall early-season red-stiped fronds compared to normal 24" fronds, but what else do you expect from Texas? Although moist soils are preferred, sensitive fern is amazingly drought-tolerant. Sensitive ferns spread by non-aggressive rhizomes just below the soil surface and will make a 6' wide clump in 5 years. Insulting or otherwise dissing a sensitive fern is considered a hate crime in the blue states, but say what you like in Texas!
Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #08279
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Onychium
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Part Sun to Light ShadeZone: 7b-9, at least 12" tall Origin: China
(syn: O. japonicum HH03CH111) We have long treasured this woodland fern, but found it very slow to build up enough to offer. This Hans Hansen spore collection from Ping Wu, China, has been much more vigorous than normal for this species. The deciduous fronds arise in spring from a slowly creeping rhizome that makes a 3' wide clump in 3 years. Each frond resembles an extraordinarily lacy rabbit's foot fern...the most exquisite green lace that you can imagine. In the wild it grows on rocky cliffs to 14,000', but for us has been very happy in our woodland garden. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #05958
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Ophiopogon
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Part Sun to Light ShadeZone: 7b-9, at least 4" tall Origin: Taiwan
Open House/Web-Only!
This mondo grass comes from a Crug Farm collection at 7000' elevation on Alishan (Ali Mountain), Taiwan. The thread-like, light green 5" long foliage makes a slowly spreading patch (3' wide in 4 years). Ophiopogon formosanus looks texturally unique from other small mondo grasses that we have grown. The patches are topped with short racemes of white flowers in summer, followed by large blue fruit. While all mondos are great for shade, we have found that Ophiopogon formosanus performs best in light shade or with a couple of hours of morning sun.
Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #07683
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Light Shade to ShadeZone: 6-9 6" tall Origin: Japan
Open House/Web-Only!
We introduced this fantabulous (how dare my spell checker tell me it's not a word) mondo grass to the US market as 'Little Tabby'. In 2009, Barry Yinger, who originally brought this unidentified species from Japan in 1974 discovered that the real name was 'Haku ryu Ko' (White Dragon Light). Ophiopogon 'Haku ryu Ko' is the finest of the variegated mondo grasses. In 5 years, this slow-growing clump spreads only to 8" wide. The 1/4" wide leaves are heavily striped green and creamy white and remain looking great all through the year. In her book, Time Tested Perennials, garden writer Pam Harper extols the virtues of this selection: "I give ten marks out of ten"...'nuff said! Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #02210
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Part Sun to ShadeZone: 7-10, possibly colder 6" tall Origin: Japan
Open House/Web-Only!
Ophiopogon 'Comet' is a little known selection of Ophiopogon japonicus with narrow, vertical, white banding similar to other variegated cultivars, but the overall effect is a much darker plant when used in mass. Whether there are fewer stripes, or the green is darker, we don't know...but it's definitely different! Ophiopogon 'Comet' is not extraordinarily vigorous, but you should expect a 3' wide patch in 5 years...a great way to lighten the woodland garden. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #00963
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Part Sun to ShadeZone: 5-10 3" tall Origin: Japan
"Simply irresistible" is the best way to describe this dwarf version of mondo grass with dark green, grass-like foliage, which eventually makes a wonderful tight mat in even the worst of conditions. Plant dwarf mondo on 6-12" centers for a wonderful evergreen groundcover. O. 'Gyoku Ryu' could best be described as looking like a rich, dark green lawn of pre-mowed grass...what a great idea! Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #00551
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Part Sun to ShadeZone: 6-9, guessing 12" tall Origin: Korea
Open House/Web-Only!
(aka: Ophiopogon j. A1K-130) I spotted this unusual mondo grass when making the exhaustive hike over the top of Korea's Ullung Island in 1997. Unlike most mondos, this plant formed a very narrow leaf clump, to 12" tall x 20" wide, without any sign of a runner. The light lavender flowers of spring give rise to bright blue berries in fall. Although Ophiopogon japonicus is the only species that this could be, it is unlike any Ophiopogon japonicus that I've ever seen. This has great garden potential for the woodland garden where a running mondo is not acceptable.
Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #06657
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Part Sun to ShadeZone: 6-10 4" tall Origin: Japan
Open House/Web-Only!
This is an exciting Japanese selection, first brought into the US by plantsman Barry Yinger. This dwarf, narrow-leaf form of mondo grass is highlighted with the rare, horizontal yellow banding seen in the zebra miscanthus. In a large patch, this spreading mondo grass makes a truly breathtaking sight from quite a distance. The original US clump at Maryland's Brookside Gardens is stunning! Expect about 3-4 years to develop a thick patch to get the best effect...get yours while they last! Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #00565
SOLD OUT
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Part Sun to ShadeZone: 7-10 6" tall Origin: Japan
Open House/Web-Only!
This has long been one of the stars in our NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored Plants) garden...actually I think this black garden thing is catching on. Originally introduced in the US in 1960 by California's Oakhurst Gardens, each 6" tall circular mound is composed of truly black 1/4" wide foliage. Spreading slowly by rhizomes, a single plant will make a nice 18" wide mat in 3 years. For quicker coverage, we plant on 10-12" centers. This easy-to-grow groundcover makes a fabulous backdrop for blues, golds and good imaginations...do you have a dream? Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #00721
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| <Monarda - Myosotis] | [Opuntia - Paeonia> |
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