Tamarix ramosissima is a plant like lantana or impatiens, that can be great or problematic depending on where it is grown. In our NC climate, it is a phenomenal garden performer, thriving in both dry or moist soils. The 12' tall woody stems are adorned with glaucous juniper-like foliage, and topped from May until frost with stunning open plumes of light pink flowers...a great source of honeybee nectar. In desert climates, it should not be planted since it gets carried away by vigorously reseeding near waterways and riparian areas...even in saltwater. Perhaps planting millions of these in the Southwest during the WPA projects of the 1930s wasn't such a great idea. We, however, have grown this for 2 decades and have never seen a seedling. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
You won't find any book references to this rare native that grows in scattered Maine localities and also along the shores of the upper Great Lakes. Despite its northern heritage, Lake Huron tansy has been one of the really wonderful surprises from our heat tolerance trials. Tanacetum huronense var. terrae-novae represents the compact Newfoundland form (isn't every plant in Newfoundland compact?) which has furrier dark green, cutleaf, tansy-like foliage which was enough for me to grow this low mounding plant. In addition, summer finds the clump topped with 1' tall stalks of large, yellow ball-like flowers...a perfect topping! Tanacetum huronense var. terrae-novae is a superb rock garden plant for the bright, dry section of the garden where it won't get overrun. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Tanacetum 'Isla Gold' probably would not have made into the US market if it hadn't been for our friend, Viki Ferreniea, who shared this with us in 1999. I hadn't seen a plant this exciting in quite a while, and after introducing it in 2001, it's still amazingly popular over a decade later. The amazing dwarf Tanacetum 'Isla Gold' originated in the now-defunct Isla Nursery in Cambridgeshire, UK. When planted in an average-to-dry site, the brilliant, lacy, deer-resistant foliage emerges bright gold in early spring and remains so until frost. Golden tansy is an easy-to-grow herb that doesn't spread around like regular tansy, and is gorgeous where golden foliage is needed in the perennial border. It truly proves to be a beacon all summer...superb! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This amazing tropical-looking favorite is grown as a dieback perennial north of Zone 8 and as a shrub from Zone 8 south. The fast-growing, thick, fuzzy, upright stems of Tetrapanax papyrifera are clothed with large, equally fuzzy, green castor bean-like leaves emerging from an underground rhizome. Rice paper plant will spread underground in good soils, so don't plant it near small defenseless plants. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
You've never seen stupid pet tricks until you've seen a cat stoned on kitty crack. Teucrium marum is a delightful, compact, shrubby mint to 2' tall x 3' wide, covered in tiny, fragrant, green leaves and equally tiny reddish-pink flowers from July through September. As soon as your cats find it, the plant is no more since they will roll in, over, and around it until they get so high they finally stagger off. Teucrium marum hails from the hot and dry regions of Spain...the source of many other good drugs. Grab the video camera and wait for the show. Warning...if your cats are unable to control their recreational use of Teucrium marum, we recommend a sturdy cage for your plants or an extended stay in kitty rehab. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This stunning new meadow rue from the Terra Nova breeding program forms a 6' tall clump of lacy green, deer-resistant foliage topped with large, pink flower heads reminiscent of Thalictrum rochebrunianum, but in this case, highlighted by jet-black stems. Breeding labels went missing, so we don't know the exact parentage behind this splendid hybrid. While Thalictrum 'Black Stockings' is very easy to grow under most garden conditions, moist rich soils result in optimal performance. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This fantastic woodland meadow rue isn't from meadows at all. In fact, it can be found happily growing on moist forest ledges between 2,000' and 6,000' elevation in the Chinese provinces of Yunnan, Sichuan, Hubei, Shanxi, Guizhou, Liaoning, and Zhejiang. In average to slightly moist garden soils, Thalictrum ichangense 'Evening Star' makes a delightful small woodland specimen composed of quarter-sized, dark olive-green leaves, each highlighted by a lovely pattern of silver veins and topped from spring until fall with 15" tall sprays of tiny mauvy-lavender flowers...a high cute quotient. This seed strain was named by the folks at Terra Nova. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Thelypteris beddomei is the Asian equivalent of the US native, Thelypteris noveboracensis. This marvelous, deciduous, deer-resistant fern makes an elegant groundcover to 6' wide in 4 years, admired by large numbers of our garden visitors. The 18" tall x 3" wide, finely cut, light-green fronds are held upright on the creeping rhizomes. Our offering of Thelypteris beddomei 'Korean Traveler' comes from spores collected on Korea's famed Cheju Island. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
(syn: Thelypteris normalis) The robust Thelypteris kunthii is one of our favorite Southeast US native ferns and is probably the most spectacular fern we grow...but then, we happen to like abundant maidens in our garden. The large, triangular fronds of light green, produced all summer, contrast nicely with the white stipes (stems) that support them. The slowly rhizomatous deer-resistant deciduous clumps of Thelypteris kunthii spread nicely to make incredible woodland masses. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This Don Jacobs selection of the easy-to-grow, heat-loving Thelypteris torresiana has proven to be much more winter-hardy than any other form of this typically tropical fern. For us, Thelypteris torresiana 'Eco Maiden Lace' makes a deciduous tree fern-like 5' tall clump of exceptionally cutleaf deer-resistant foliage...much more divided than other forms we have grown. Thelypteris 'Eco Maiden Lace' provides a splendid airy texture among bold textured shade plants such as hosta. I can't imagine gardening without this great hardy fern! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Thuja occidentalis 'Degroot's Spire' is a moderately slow-growing selection of our North American native arborvitae that forms a perfect narrow column similar to Italian cypress or a green popsicle (depending on your reference point) In 10 years, expect a 20' tall x 2' wide specimen. The curly fans of medium green foliage create a lacy texture...perfect for the meticulous or phallically inclined gardener! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This 2002 release from the Terra Nova breeding program is the best pink-flowered foam flower we have seen. The 1' wide clump of strongly dissected, shiny green foliage, highlighted with a central black blotch, is topped in late spring with a dazzling display of 1' tall pink "brushes." We think you will find this a very special addition to the woodland garden. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Only a few years ago, we had no variegated tibouchinas...now we have two. Tibouchina granulosa 'Gibraltar' came to the US thanks to SC plantsman, Ted Stephens, who found it at a Japanese nursery. For us, Tibouchina granulosa 'Gibraltar' makes a small growing plant to 18" tall x 18" wide, composed of square woody stems and clothed with finger-sized green leaves, edged in creamy white. In late fall, the clumps are topped with terminal clusters of brilliant purple 2" wide flowers...quite a sight. In the wild, Tibouchina granulosa can reach 40' in height, but we're not turning these loose. In cold winter climates, it makes a superb 18" tall summer container specimen. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
I have always been a fan of tibouchina and had hunted for years to find the variegated form before finally locating it in Bob Brown's fine collection in England. The slowly growing, 2' tall mass of woody stems is clothed with velvety green leaves, each edged with a creamy border. Starting in late summer, the clumps are topped with stunning 2" wide, dark purple flowers...an indescribable contrast. Although the green form is marginally hardy for us, we still don't have data on this gem, so stick to containers north of Zone 8 for now. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This amazing collection, from our 1994 expedition to Mexico (3,800' in the Sierra Chiquita Mountains), has stunned us all, not only by making a superb garden plant, but by surviving the last six winters. The wiry purple stems are adorned with olive-green leaves, speckled with large purple dots. As the breeze blows, the dark purple backs reveal another nice contrast. From late summer until fall, Tinantia pringlei clumps are topped with tiny, light lavender, spiderwort-like flowers. Our 6-year-old clumps are 3' wide...great for underplanting in the woodland garden or in containers. Expect a few babies to be scattered around in good soils. Thanks to Smithsonian botanist Bob Faden for the identification! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Available 6-6-2013 Don't bother to look Titanotrichum oldhamii up, 'cause you won't find it...except in the tropical books where it's a Zone 9 plant. From China, via our friend, Ozzie Johnson, comes this remarkably hardy gesneriad (African violet cousin). It was great to finally see it in Taiwan in 2008, where it clung to nearly vertical rock cliffs. The fuzzy basal leaves make a nice small clump to 12" wide, which in September and October is topped with 1' spikes of dramatic, golden yellow bells with vivid, cinnamon-red centers. One look at a flowering Titanotrichum oldhamii will bring you to your knees faster than a passing Pope...I promise! Titanotrichum oldhamii has survived 0 degrees F in our garden with good winter drainage. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Available 7-18-2013 You are absolutely not going to believe this, but here goes. Palm nut Kiril Donov noticed these 40-year-old windmill palm trees growing in Plavdiv, Bulgaria...that's right, the one near Romania. According to Donov, these trees regularly see very cold temperatures including a record -17 degrees F in 1993...see www.polarpalm.net. After growing these to a larger size, we are fairly confident they represent hybrids between a very hardy Trachycarpus fortunei and Trachycarpus fortunei 'Wagnerianus'. Please keep in mind that each plant is either male or female...no way to tell until they mature so grow several to get seed. Although they will take a bit of shade, the growth rate is much faster in full sun. We are thrilled to be able offer this windmill palm again. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Always on the lookout for hardy palm selections, I sighted two magnificent 30' specimens of very hardy windmill palms on Ridgeway Drive in Charlotte NC in the late 1970s. We are thrilled to make available seedlings of this particularly winter hardy strain that we named Trachycarpus fortunei 'Charlotte' for the first time since 2000. All Trachycarpus fortunei will tolerate some shade, but their growth rate will slow dramatically. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Everything we know about Trachycarpus takil in cultivation has been wrong, as palm experts discovered in 2009. Instead of growing the real species, we all had a form of Trachycarpus fortunei from Nanital, India (just northwest of Nepal). Trachycarpus fortunei 'Nanital' has more finely divided leaves than most typical Trachycarpus fortunei, along with a trunk that has a slight lean...a la the Tower of Pisa. Anything written about Trachycarpus takil in cultivation before 2010 refers to Trachycarpus 'Nanital'. As of 2010, seed of the true Trachycarpus takil is just becoming available. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Trachycarpus takil has been a true life mystery plant following a series of seed collecting expeditions to its home at 7,000' elevation in remote Northern India over the past few decades, most of which wound up at a population of Trachycarpus fortunei, now known as the cultivar, Trachycarpus 'Nanital'. Finally, seed collectors made their way back to the real Trachycarpus takil, and we are thrilled to finally make it available. Our original plant of Trachycarpus takil in the garden (1 of 2 known to exist east of the Mississippi), was planted in 1994 and is now 11' tall including 6' of trunk. It has endured a winter low of -1 degree F (-18C) in 1996. The main difference between Trachycarpus takil and Trachycarpus fortunei is that Trachycarpus takil has no long brown "chest" hair at the crown, and has dramatically more leaf segments than Trachycarpus fortunei. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
.jpg "Tanacetum vulgare 'Isla Gold' (Gold Leaf Tansy)")
.jpg "Thelypteris kunthii (Abundant Maiden Fern)")
.jpg "Tiarella 'Pink Skyrocket' PP 13,382 (Pink Skyrocket Foam Flower)")
