Distinctive Foliage

Pot size:  4" Band Pot

Family:  Gunneraceae
Zone: 7 - 9
Natural Range: South America.
Soil:  Moist, humus rich
Light: Part shade-sun
Height: 6' - 10'
Attributes:  Deciduous.  Huge sharply toothed rhubarb like leaves to more than 4' across. Three to six foot tall cone like flowers.
Notes:  A huge perennial for a focal point or large scale garden.

Pot Size:  Large Band Pot

Pot size:  4" Band Pot

Family:Zingiberaceae
Zone: 7 - 10
Natural Range: Himalayas
Soil: Average to moist, humus rich
Light: Sun, part sun
Height: 4’ – 6’
Bloom Time: August to October
Attributes: Deciduous. Rhizomatous. Lightly fragrant, especially in the late afternoon warmth. Many white flowers with prominent peach colored stamen and anther.Tropical looking foliage all season
Notes:One of the best reliable blooming Gingers for cooler summer climates. Mulch crowns with leaves in cooler climates during the winter.

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Zone: 6 - 9
Natural Range: China
Family:  Helwingiaceae
Soil:  Moist, humus rich
Light: part shade
Height: 4'
Attributes: Semi-evergreen small greenish flowers formed on the center of the leaf.  Chocolate-purple new growth.  Dark buds.  Fed fruit.  Glossy, narrow, serrated foliage.  Multi-stemmed shrub.  Separate male and female plants.
Notes:  Strange group of plants and a nice texture for the shady garden.

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Family:  Helwingiaceae
Zone: 6 - 9
Natural Range:  China, Japan
Soil:  Average, humus rich
Light:  Part shade, sun
Height:  6'
Bloom Time:  April to June
Attributes:  Deciduous. Small greenish flowers formed on the center of the leaf.  Dark buds.  Black fruit.  Rounded foliage.  Multi-stemmed shrub.  Separate male and female plants.
Notes:  A strange genus with flowers and fruit formed in the center of the leaf.

Pot Size:  Large Band Pot

Family:  Helwingiaceae
Zone: 6 - 9
Natural Range: Japan
Soil:  Moist, humus rich
Light: part shade
Height: 4'
Attributes: Deciduous. Small greenish flowers formed on the center of the leaf.  Dark buds.  Black fruit.  Rounded foliage.  Multi-stemed shrub.  Separate male and female plants.
Notes: Great texture.

Pot Size:  Medium Band Pot

Family:  Helwingiaceae
Zone: 6 - 9
Natural Range: China
Soil:  Moist, humus rich
Light: part shade
Height: 6'
Attributes: Evergreen. Small greenish flowers formed on the center of the leaf.  Dark buds.  Red fruit.  Glossy, serrated foliage with dark stems.  New foliage emerges with an purple.  Multi-stemmed shrub.  Separate male and female plants.  These have larger, glossy leaves than Helwingia chinensis.
Notes: From our collections in wonderfully diverse mountains of Gansu province.

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Family: Helwingiaceae
Zone: 6 - 9
Natural Range: China
Soil:  Moist, humus rich
Light: part shade
Height: 6'
Attributes: Evergreen. Small greenish flowers formed on the center of the leaf.  Dark buds.  Glossy, serrated foliage with dark stems.  New foliage emerges with an purple.  Multi-stemmed shrub.  Separate male and female plants.  These have larger, glossy leaves than Helwingia chinensis.
Notes: From our collections in wonderfully diverse mountains of Gansu province.

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Pot Size: 1 Gallon Pot

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Family:  Hydrangeaceae
Zone: 4 - 8
Natural Range: China
Soil: Average to moist, humus rich
Light: Part sun to shade
Height: 50'
Bloom Time: June to August
Attributes: Deciduous.  Woody-stemmed.  Attractive horizontal lateral branching.  Opposite, simple, serrate, creamy white new growth.  White lacecap flowers. 
Notes: Work well when trained up evergreen trees.

Pot size: Medium Band Pot

Family:  Hydrangeaceae
Zone: 4 - 8
Natural Range: China
Soil: Average to moist, humus rich
Light: Part sun to shade
Height: 50'
Bloom Time: June to August
Attributes: Deciduous.  Woody-stemmed.  Attractive horizontal lateral branching.  Opposite, simple, serrate, variegated green foliage.  White lacecap flowers. 
Notes: Work well when trained up evergreen trees.

Pot size: Medium Band Pot

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Zone:7 - 9
Natural Range:China
Soil:  Average humus rich, well drained
Light: Part shade, shade
Height: 4' - 6'
Bloom Time:  July to September
Attributes: Deciduous. Purple new foliage, aging to deep purple with rosy purple undersides.  Blue to pinkish white lace cap flowers.
Notes:  Great foliage.

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Family:  Hydrangeaceae
Zone:  7 - 9
Natural Range:  China
Soil:  Average, moist humus rich
Light:  Part sun
Height:  6' - 12'
Bloom Time:  August to September
Attracts:  Birds
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes:  Deciduous. Narrow, velvet-like leaves with large buds.  Large blue-purple lacecap flowers and white sterile florets. 
Notes:  Large group of Hydrangea. 

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Great Plant Picks

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Family:  Hydrangeaceae 
Zone:  5 - 9
Natural Range: Branch sport of the dwarf selection 'Pee Wee'
Soil:  Moist, humus rich
Light: part shade, sun
Height: 3' - 6'
Attributes: Deciduous shrub with double white flowers.
Notes: Great foliage.

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Pot Size:  Medium Band Pot

Family: Hydrangeacea
Zone:3 - 9
Natural Range:North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia
Soil:  Average humus rich
Light: Part shade
Height: 3' - 6'
Bloom Time:  May to July
Attributes: Deciduous. Green leaves with bright silvery-white underside. White lace cap flowers on new wood.  yellow fall foliage.
Notes:  Great foliage.  Was considered a subspecies of Hydrangea arborescens

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Family:  Hydrangeaceae
Zone:  6 - 9
Natural Range: Japan; Mt. Kiyosumi
Soil:  Moist, humus rich
Light: part shade, sun
Height: 4 feet tall
Attributes: Deciduous.  Dark reddish purple new growth with pink lace cap flowers ringed in red.
Notes:  Distinctive Hydrangea

Pot Size:  Medium Band Pot

Family:  Hydrangeaceae
Zone: 6 - 9
Natural Range: Japan
Soil: Average to moist, humus rich
Light: Part sun
Height: 4'
Bloom Time: June to August
Attributes: Deciduous.  Woody-stemmed.  Unusually variegated gold and green foliage.  White, blushed pink lacecap flowers.
Notes: Selected by JC Raulston at NC State University Arboretum. Native to moist woodlands of Japan.  Hydrangea serrata "Amacha varieties" can be used to make a sweet tea.  Amacha translates to "Sweet Tea".  Amacha is 200 times sweeter than table sugar with almost zero calories and no caffeine.

Pot Size: Medium Band Pot

Family:Asteraceae
Zone: 3 - 9
Natural Range: Eurasia
Soil:  Average, moist,  humus rich
Light:  Part shade
Height:  6'
Bloom Time:  Summer
Attributes:  Deciduous.  Spade shaped leaves to 18" long.  Tall stems of rayed aster like flowers to 4" across.
Notes:  Numerous showy yellow flowers.

Pot Size:  Large Band Pot

Family:  Iridaceae
Zone:  6 - 9
Natural Range:  China
Soil:  Average, moist humus rich
Light:  Part shade, sun
Height:  4'
Bloom Time:  May to June
Attracts:  Bees, Hummingbirds
Pest Resistance:  Deer, Rabbit
Attributes:  Evergreen.  Lush, fan-like foliage atop tall stems.  4.5" violet-blue flowers with yellow.
Notes:  Newly introduced, natural hybrid found in south central China.  Thought to have Iris tectorum as one of its parents.  Grows like Iris confusa.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Family:  Iridaceae
Zone:  7 - 11
Natural Range:  China
Soil:  Average, moist humus rich
Light:  Part shade, sun
Height:  3'
Bloom Time:  May to June
Attracts:  NA
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes:  Evergreen.  Lush, fan-like foliage atop tall stems.  Each flower stock holds up  to 75 blue flower with darker mottling and orange-yellow blotching.
Notes:  Blooms on previous seasons growth.  Usually sends out new growth in late winter.  In colder climates Iris confusa is best planted in a sheltered location to keep previous seasons growth for good flowering. 

Pot Size:  Large Band Pot

Family:  Iridaceae
Zone:  7 - 9
Natural Range:  China
Soil:  Average, moist humus rich
Light:  Part shade
Height:  1'
Bloom Time:  May to June
Attracts:  NA
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes:  Evergreen.  Lush, fan-like foliage atop tall stems. 2" Pale blue to white flowers with yellow crests.
Notes:  This form has bright white and green variegated foliage.  A woodland type iris that in the wild grows in open woodland margins and meadows. 

Pot Size:  Large Band Pot

Family:  Iridaceae
Zone:  2 - 9
Natural Range:  Eastern US
Soil:  Average, moist
Light:  Sun, part sun
Height:  3'
Bloom Time:  June to July
Attracts:  Bees
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes:  Deciduous.  Purple new growth slowly transitioning to green.   Purple flowers in late spring to early summer
Notes:  New introduction from Mt. Cuba Center.  New growth emerges in March

Pot size:  Quart Pot Very Full!

Zone: 4 - 8
Natural Range: Japan; Shikoku and Kyushu Island
Family:  Hydrangeaceae
Soil:  Moist, humus rich
Light:  Shade, part sun
Attributes:  Deciduous, 3' tall.  Maple like leaves, with yellow, thick, waxy bell shaped blooms in mid to late summer.  The new unopened buds sparkle.
Notes:  A great perennial for the shady garden that provides both foliage interest and summer season bloom display.  I particularly like how the flower buds sparkle like stars on graceful stems.  They seem to do best with morning sun and dappled afternoon sun and evenly moist soil. 

Pot Size:  Large Band Pot

Family:Lamiaceae
Zone: 5 - 9
Natural Range:  Balkans, Hungary
Soil: Average to moist, humus rich
Light: Part sun, shade
Height: 24" - 30"
Bloom Time: April to May
Resistant to: Deer, Rabbit
Attributes:Deciduous.  Clumping, upright.  Coarsely textured, heart-shaped fuzzy leaves occasionally with silver down the center.  Crimson-purple flowers formed in whorls. 
Notes:Does not spread like other species.

Pot Size: 4" Band Pot

Family:Liliaceae
Zone: 7 - 10
Natural Range: Central South Africa
Soil: Average, humus rich, well draining
Light: Sun, part sun
Height: 6” - 10"
Bloom Time: April to May
Attributes: Deciduous. Clumping. Upright, lanceolate leaves with purple stripes.  Small fragrant pink flowers.
Notes:Native to wetland margins and moist grasslands.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Family:  Ericaceae
Zone: 5 - 9
Natural Range: hybrid; PP17666
Soil:  Average, moist, humus rich
Light: part shade, sun
Height: 2'
Attributes: Evergreen, twisted, contorted leaves with deep red tones.
Notes:  Great for texture in container plantings

Pot size:  1 Gallon  Pot