Family:  Musaceae
Zone:  7 - 10
Natural Range:  Japan
Soil:  Average, moist humus rich
Light:  Sun, part sun
Height:  14'.
Bloom Time:  Summer
Attracts:  NA
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes:  Tall trunks with large foliage.  
Notes:  In cooler climates best when mulched in winter.  Will form large stands with time.

Pot Size:  Large Band Pot

Family:  Musaceae
Zone:  7 - 10
Natural Range:  Bhutan, India
Soil:  Average, moist humus rich
Light:  Sun, part sun
Height:  14'.
Bloom Time:  Summer
Attracts:  NA
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes:  Tall trunks with large foliage that can be spotted with red-purple
Notes:  In cooler climates best when mulched in winter.  Native to high forest of the Himalayas.

Pot Size:  Large Band Pot

Family:Rosaceae
Zone: 6 - 9
Natural Range: China
Soil:Average, humus rich
Light: Part shade, sun
Height: 6'
Pest Resistance: NA
Bloom Time: Spring
Attributes:Deciduous shrub with pink flowers.  Palmate, cascading foliage.
Notes:Looks a Physocarpus and Ribes sanguineum got mixed together.  From our collections we found growing along a steep canyon with a diverse mix of trees including Salix maginfica.

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Nothofagus antarctica 'Puget Pillar (South American Beech)

Family: Nyssaceae
Zone:  5 - 9
Natural Range: Arkansas
Soil:  Average, humus rich
Light:  Sun, part sun
Height:  20'
Bloom Time:  May to June
Attracts:  Birds, bees
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes:  Deciduous.  Weeping habit with bright red fall foliage.  Greenish white flowers
Notes: Unusual selection with cascading effect.  Staking is recommended as it develops the central leader.

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot 1' - 2'

Family: Nyssaceae
Zone:  5 - 9
Natural Range: Arkansas
Soil:  Average, humus rich
Light:  Sun, part sun
Height:  20'
Bloom Time:  May to June
Attracts:  Birds, bees
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes:  Deciduous.  Light green leaves ringed  with an irregular creamy white margin.  Greenish white flowers
Notes: Bright orange-red and pink fall foliage.

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot 1' - 2'

Family: Asteraceae
Zone:7 - 9
Natural Range: Hybrid; New Zealand
Soil:  Average- humus rich, well drained
Light: Sun, Part sun
Height: 6'
Bloom Time:  Summer
Attributes: Evergreen.  Rounded shrub with glossy olive-green leaves with white undersides and numerous small white flowers.  Light, flaky bark.
Notes:  We have had this growing in the garden for many years and have not seen any damage.

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Family: Iridaceae
Zone:5 - 9
Natural Range: Pacific Northwest
Soil:  Average, humus rich, well drained.  Summer Dry
Light: Part shade, sun
Height: 6"-10"
Bloom Time:  February to April
Pest Resistance:  Deer, Rabbit
Attributes: Deciduous.  Grass like winter foliage, summer dormant.  Purple - lavender flowers in early spring.
Notes:  Grows in open forest from coast to mid elevations.  In the wild Olsynium douglasii grows in moss with grass, Goodyera, Polypodium and Erythronium.  A great plant for the rock garden.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Family: Boraginaceae
Zone: 6 - 9
Natural Range: Turkey
Soil:  Average
Light: Sun, part shade
Height: 8"
Bloom Time:  April to June
Attracts:  Hummingbirds
Pest Resistance:  Deer, Rabbit
Attributes:  Evergreen.  Deciduous. Clumping.  Mounds of deep green leaves with airy sprays of deep blue flowers
Notes:  The photos were taken during a sunset in mid April giving a glowing purple-pink cast.  Charming perennial combining well with ferns, Epimedium and other woodlanders.

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Family:Asparagaceae
Zone: 6 - 9
Natural Range: Himalayas
Soil:Average, humus rich
Light: Part shade, shade
Height: 8"
Pest Resistance: Deer
Bloom Time: July to September
Attributes:Evergreen, clumps of strap-like arching, glossy, dark green leaves.  Pinkish-white flowers above the foliage with blue fruit.
Notes:Native to moderately high elevations in dense, moist woodlands.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Family:  Araliaceae
Zone:  3 - 9
Natural Range: PNW
Soil:  Moist, humus rich
Light: Part shade, shade
Height: 10'
Attributes:  Deciduous, White - green blooms early summer.  Red fruit in fall.  Very large palmate alternately arranged leaves to more than one foot across.
Notes: A bold foliage plant with a dramatic presence in the garden.  Combines well with other tropical looking plants.  In the wild it grows in moist woodlands along stream-banks.  Related to Ginseng, Aralia, Fatsia, Schefflera.  In warmer climates does best in full shade with even moisture. 

This batch of Devil's club is seed grown and are still on the small side.  Surprisingly seedlings need to be protected from slugs.

Pot Size:  5 Gallon Pot  3'- 4'

Family: Oleaceae
Zone:6 - 9
Natural Range: Turkey
Soil:  average, humus rich, well drained
Light: Sun, part sun
Height: 8'
Bloom Time:  April to May
Attributes: Evergreen shrub.  Small, fragrant white flowers.
Notes:  Roy Lancaster collection from Turkey.  Also known as Phillyrea vilmoriniana, Phillyrea decora.

Pot Size:  Large Band Pot

Great Plant Picks

Pot Size: Medium Band Pot

Family: Oleaceae
Zone:7 - 11
Natural Range: Japan, Taiwan
Soil:  Average, humus rich
Light: Part sun
Height: 4' - 5'
Bloom Time:  Fall
Attributes: Evergreen shrub.  Dwarf evergreen white, gray and green splashed foliage.  Sweet fragrant flowers in fall. 
Notes:  Does best when sheltered from the hottest sun.

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Family: Oleaceae
Zone:7 - 11
Natural Range: Japan, Taiwan
Soil:  Average, humus rich
Light: Part sun
Height: 4' - 5'
Bloom Time:  Fall
Attributes: Evergreen shrub.  Dwarf evergreen with gold leaves turning chartreuse with age.  Sweet fragrant flowers in fall. 
Notes:  Does best when sheltered from the hottest sun.

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Family: Betulaceae
Zone:3 - 9
Natural Range:Eastern North America, Mexico
Soil:  Average humus rich, well drained
Light: Part shade, sun
Height: 25'
Bloom Time:  April
Attributes: Deciduous.  Small tree with rounded canopy.  Birch-like leaves.  Green hop-like flowers and fruit. Male and female flowers on same tree.
Notes:  Attractively shaped and graceful, low-maintenance under-story tree for lightly shady gardens.

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot 2' - 3'

Family:  Poaceae
Zone:  9 - 11
Natural Range:  Mexico
Soil:  Average
Light:  Sun, part sun
Height:  15'
Bloom Time:  NA
Attracts:  NA
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes:  Evergreen.  Graceful clumping bamboo with arching culms with a weeping habit.  Leaves have a narrow curled-pinched look with a grayish cast. 
Notes: Native to forested mountains in Mexico.  Works well in pots.  Best when not allowed to get colder than around 20 degrees and can loose leaves and cane dieback below 18 degrees, re growing from the base around 15 degrees.
 
Pot size:  1 Gallon Pot

Family:  Oxalidaceae
Zone: 6 - 10
Natural Range: Pacific Northwest
Soil:  Average, moist humus rich
Light: Shade, part sun
Height:  6"
Bloom Time: May to June
Attracts: Bees
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes: Evergreen.  Dark green leaves with light silver mottling.  Wine red underside of the leaf.  Pink and white flowers.
Notes: Great ground cover that will do well in deep shade and summer dry.

Pot Size:  4" Pot

Family:  Oxalidaceae
Zone: 6 - 10
Natural Range: Pacific Northwest
Soil:  Average, moist humus rich
Light: Shade, part sun
Height:  6"
Bloom Time: May to June
Attracts: Bees
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes: Evergreen.  Dark green leaves with silver mottling.  Deep pink flowers.
Notes: This form was introduced form northern California.  Growing beneath old growth Redwoods in deep rich duff.  Darker pink flowers and rich mottling.

Pot Size:  4" Pot

Family:  Oxalidaceae
Zone: 6 - 10
Natural Range: Pacific Northwest
Soil:  Average, moist humus rich, drought tolerant
Light: Shade, part sun
Height:  6"
Bloom Time: May to June
Attracts: Bees
Pest Resistance:  Deer
Attributes: Evergreen.  Rich green leaves with white flowers striped with light pink.
Notes: Great ground cover that will do well in deep shade and summer dry.

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Family:  Ericaceae
Zone: 5 - 9
Natural Range: Eastern and Southern United States
Soil:  Average, humus rich
Light: part shade, sun
Height: 20' - 50'
Attributes: Deciduous.  Gray, fissured  bark with age.  Glossy green leaves to 8" long.  Crimson red fall foliage.  White flowers on drooping panicles to 8" long.  Light fragrance.
Notes:  Found growing on wooded slopes in combination with other members of the same family.

Pot size:   Medium Band Pot

Family:  Saxifragaceae
Zone: 6 - 9
Natural Range: Pacific Northwest
Soil:  Average to moist, humus rich
Light: Shade, part shade
Height: 18" - 24"
Attracts:  NA
Attributes:  Deciduous.  Rosette of palmately lobed leaves on spreading rhizomes.  Tall leafless stems with up to 35 white flowers with deep pinkish frills and buds.
Notes:Elegant and graceful flower stems. Mostly found east of the Cascades, growing in moist, dense forest. Thanks to our friend Alex Wright who introduced us to this gem.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Family:  Brassicaceae
Zone: 5 - 9
Natural Range: Turkey
Soil:  Average, humus rich
Light: Shade, part shade
Height: 12"
Bloom Time: March to April
Attributes:  Evergreen, mounding.  Bright green rounded leaves with white flowers.
Notes:  Drought tolerant once established.  Brightens up the early garden with masses of white flowers.
 
Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Family:  Buxaceae
Zone: 5 - 9
Natural Range: Southeastern United States
Soil:  Average, moist, humus rich
Light: part shade, shade
Height: 6" - 12"
Bloom Time:  March to April
Attributes: Semi-evergreen to evergreen in warmer climates. A ground cover with slowly spreading rhizomes.  Matte blue-green leaves mottled with purple and white.  Foliage turns bronze-pink with green in fall and winter.  Fragrant white flowers on 2-4" long spikes. 
Notes:  Flowers before new foliage emerges.

Pot size:  4" Band Pot

Family:  Paeoniaceae
Zone: 4 - 9
Natural Range: PNW
Soil: Average
Light: Part sun, sun
Height: 12"
Bloom Time:  April to June
Attributes: Deciduous. Nodding red/purple and yellow flowers.  Grayish green ferny foliage.
Notes:  Needs good drainage.  Best when planted in rock garden setting.

Pot Size:  Medium Band Pot

Family:  Paeoniaceae
Zone: 4 - 8
Natural Range: Japan
Soil: moist, well drained
Light: part shade
Attributes: Deciduous.  Spring blooming. 2' tall.  Red - pink new growth, pure white flowers with yellow stamen.  Bright red seed case with blue seeds.
Notes:  An easy species that is underutilized in gardens.  Plant in an area sheltered from the hot sun, but not deep shade.
Companion plants: Trillium,  Cypripedium, Cardamine, Erythronium, Epimedium, Paris, Smilacina.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot/small Band Pot

Zone:  4 - 9
Natural Range: Hybrid
Soil:  Average, moist humus rich
Light:  Sun, part sun
Height:  2’ - 6'
Bloom Time:  May to June
Attracts:  NA
Pest Resistance:  Deer, Rabbit
Attributes:  Deciduous.  Cross between yellow flowering P. ludlowii and white flowering ostii.  So far foliage looks similar to P. ludlowii
Notes:  Seedlings from hand pollinated cross

Pot Size:  Large Band Pot

Family:  Paeoniaceae
Zone: 6 - 9
Natural Range: Western China
Soil: Moist, well drained
Light: Part shade, sun
Height: 7'
Bloom Time:  May
Pest Resistance:  Deer, Rabbit
Attributes: Deciduous.  Shrub-like.  Spring blooming. Attractive ferny foliage. Deep yellow flowers with gold anthers. Larger petals and more cup shaped than P. delaveyi.  Large black seeds late summer-fall.
Notes:  Requires little maintenance one established and can be quite drought tolerant.

Pot Size: 4" Band Pot

Family: Paeoniaceae
Zone:  4 - 9
Natural Range: Mediterranean
Soil:  Average, moist humus rich
Light:  Sun, part sun
Height:  2’
Bloom Time:  April to May
Attracts:  NA
Pest Resistance:  Deer, Rabbit
Attributes:  Deciduous.  Pink new growth.  Intense purple-pink flowers.
Notes:  Rarely offered species that is the first to bloom in our Pacific Northwest Garden.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Family: Paeoniaceae
Zone:4 - 9
Natural Range: China, Russia, Korea, Japan
Soil:  Average to moist, humus rich
Light: Part shade
Height: 24"
Bloom Time:  April to June
Pest Resistance: Deer, Rabbit
Attributes: Deciduous. Clumping.  Spring blooming.  Red - pink new growth, Pink flowers with yellow stamen.  Bright red seed case with blue seeds.
Notes:  Plant in an area sheltered from the hot sun, but not deep shade.

Pot Size:  Large Band Pot

Family:  Paeoniaceae
Zone: 4 - 9
Natural Range:  China;  Hubei, Shaanxi
Soil:  Average to moist, humus rich
Light:  Part sun
Height:  24"
Bloom Time:  April to May
Pest Resistance:  Deer, Rabbit
Attributes:  Deciduous.  Spring blooming.  Red - pink new growth.  Deep red underside of leaves.  Large white flowers with yellow stamen.  Large, bright red seed case with blue seeds.
Notes:  An easy species that is not often found in cultivation. Plant in an area sheltered from the hot sun, but not deep shade.  A favorite of mine in the garden for both foliage and flower.  Blooms later than P. japonica but earlier than P. obovata.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Family:  Blechnaceae
Zone: 6 - 9
Natural Range: New Zealand
Soil: Average to moist, humus rich
Light: Part shade
Height: 3' - 6'
Bloom Time: NA
Attributes: Evergreen, Bright pink to orange new growth turning green.  Ruffled, arching mature fronds.  Separate fertile fronds.  Spreading rhizome
Notes: Grows faster with constant moisture.  All the attributes I search for in ferns yet not often encountered in the trade.  Only a limited number of available plants!  Recently re-classified from Blechum to Parablechnum.

Pot Size:  4"  Pot

Family:  Melanthiaceae
Zone: 5 - 9
Natural Range: Hybrid
Soil:  Moist, humus rich
Light:  Part shade
Attributes:  Deciduous.  Paris polyphylla 'Heronswood Form' grows to 36"-40" tall has golden petals.  This form clumps up better than most other forms.  Paris sp. grows to more than 6' tall and never sends any additional offsets.  When pollinated the pods crack open revealing bright orange fruit.
Notes:  We have been crossing these two unique varieties both directions and have resulted in several years of good seedling crops.  These plants have not flowered yet and I imagine that it will still be a couple of years before flowering.  I am hoping that the offspring will result in a taller plant that offsets more readily. 

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Family:  Melanthiaceae
Zone: 5 - 9
Natural Range: Himalayas; North India, China
Soil:  Moist, humus rich
Light:  Shade, part sun
Attributes:  Deciduous, 1' - 2' tall.  Unusual whorled leaves surrounding flowers. Blooms consist of up to 8 green sepals with long yellow thread like petals and a round purple ovary. In the fall a polinated flower will burst open revealing orange seeds.  Rhizomes are very similar to Trillium.
Notes:  The Genus Paris are Asiatic cousins of Trilliums, called the honey - flower family.  Only five species of Trillium are found in Asia while more than 20 species of Paris are found there.  Paris have a combination of whorled foliage and whorled sepals that create textural interest, making them look unusual in contrast to their more familiar cousins.  Paris look especially unique when planted in combination with Cardiocrinum, Podophyllum and Arisaema

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Family:  Melanthiaceae
Zone: 5 - 9
Natural Range: Hybrid
Soil:  Moist, humus rich
Light:  Part shade
Attributes:  Deciduous.  Paris polyphylla 'Heronswood Form' grows to 36"-40" tall has golden petals.  This form clumps up better than most other forms.  Paris sp. grows to more than 6' tall and never sends any additional offsets.  When pollinated the pods crack open revealing bright orange fruit.
Notes:  We have been crossing these two unique varieties both directions and have resulted in several years of good seedling crops.  These plants have not flowered yet and I imagine that it will still be a couple of years before flowering.  I am hoping that the offspring will result in a taller plant that offsets more readily.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Family:  Melanthiaceae
Zone: 6 - 8
Natural Range: Japan
Soil:  Moist, humus rich
Light:  Part sun
Attributes:  Deciduous, 16" tall.  Clumping.  Branching, slender rhizome.  Four or sometimes more leaves in opposite pairs topped by whorled flowers.  Green outer tepal and slender inner tepal.
Notes: The Genus Paris are Asiatic/European cousins of Trilliums, called the honey - flower family.  Only five species of Trillium are found in Asia while more than 20 species of Paris are found there.  Paris have a combination of whorled foliage and whorled sepals that create textural interest, making them look unusual in contrast to their more familiar cousins.  Paris look especially unique when planted in cvompination with Cardiocrinum, Podophyllum and Arisaema

Pot Size: 4" Band Pot

Family: Hamamelidaceae
Zone:  5 - 9
Natural Range: Northern Iran, Caucaus
Soil:  Average, humus rich
Light:  Sun, part sun
Height:  25'
Bloom Time:  February to March
Attracts:  NA
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes:  Deciduous.  Upright and columnar selection even with age. Yellow and red fall foliage.  Flaking bark with maturity.
Notes: Found and selected by Ken Christianson.

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Family: Hamamelidaceae
Zone:5 - 9
Natural Range:   Iran
Soil:  Moist, humus rich, well drained
Light: Part sun
Height: 20'
Bloom Time:  February to March
Attributes: Deciduous, large shrub or small tree that develops a patchwork of gray, green and creamy bark with age.  Medium green foliage with irregular white and gray mottling.
Notes:  Fall foliage is flushed pink and purple.

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Family: Hamamelidaceae
Zone:  5 - 9
Natural Range: Northern Iran
Soil:  Average, humus rich
Light:  Sun, part sun
Height:  15'
Bloom Time:  February to March
Attracts:  NA
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes:  Deciduous.  New growth is ringed in dark purple-brown.  Upright and columnar selection even with age. Yellow and red fall foliage.  Flaking bark with maturity.
Notes: Great Plant Picks

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot