Plants which are published in our catalog for the first time are marked as “NEW!”

Plants marked “PDN Intro” are our introductions, meaning we are the first nursery to bring them to the market. A lot of these plants were collected by PDN founder Tony Avent during his international and domestic botanizing expeditions. Many plants are the result of our plant breeding work here at JLBG. And a few were shared with us by fellow plant enthusiasts and collectors with expressed permission to share their wonderful finds with gardeners around the world.

Plants marked “Retiring” are being removed from production and will not appear in the next years’ catalog.

Plants marked “Tony’s Favorites” have been personally selected for exceptional performance and garden value by PDN Founder Tony Avent.

Plants marked "JLBG member plant" are complimentary plants available only for JLBG members at the Explorer and Sponsor levels. Become a member.

Abbreviation PPAF or PP #,### at the end of the plant name indicates that the owner of the plant has applied for or received a US Patent. A patent prevents propagation of the plant for sale without a license for 20 years. Non-patented plants can be propagated for sale by nurseries and individuals without restrictions. A trademark protects the brand name and can be used by its owner to market hundreds of different plants but does not restrict propagation (Knock Out® roses for example). For more information see our article The Trademark Myth.

Plant names are made of at least two parts: the first name is the genus (always capitalized), the second one is the specific epithet (lower case). If one plant of a species is selected for a particular quality that makes it different from the norm, it is given a cultivar name which is always capitalized and written with single quotes (Yucca rostrata 'Sapphire Skies'). In some cases, the cultivar is not a selection of a single species, but a hybrid of two or more species. In this case, the genus name is either followed immediately by the cultivar (Carex 'Feather Falls') or it is followed by an “x” and an interspecific hybrid epithet (Brugmansia x candida 'Double White'). An exception to the third name being the cultivar name is when a species has naturally occurring distinct forms. These are referred to as varieties, subspecies, or forms. In this case, the plant will have two lower case names after the genus (Amsonia ciliata var. filifolia). In rare instances there is an “x” before the genus, this indicates that the plant is an intergeneric hybrid (x Mangave is a hybrid of Manfreda and Agave). In our catalog the "x" is omitted in the alphabetical listing for convenience, but will be present in the plant description. For more information visit Plant Names & Identification.

While these are on the surface much simpler and easier to remember, they often lead to more confusion than using the Latin names because the same common name can be used to describe two, three or even four completely different plants. Common names also have a strong regional nature: the same plant can have one common name in the Southeast and another in the Midwest. In the case of very popular garden plants the common names often match the genus name, think hosta, salvia, aster, and even mums (a shortened name for chrysanthemum).

Before making a purchase, we encourage you to check out the customer reviews. We generally publish all reviews that contain helpful information regardless of the star rating. We do not have the ability to edit the star rating or the body of the review, nor do we have the time or funds to fake reviews, so every published review is from an actual customer who purchased from us, typos and all.

If you have a question about a plant you purchased or wish to purchase, we encourage you to submit it through our website. Your question will be reviewed and posted publicly along our reply. Posting public questions helps fellow gardeners make an informed decision.

If the plant you desire is out of stock and you would like to get notified when it becomes available, please create an account or log into an existing one and add that plant to your Wishlist. We use an automated messaging system to send “back in stock” notification to the email attached to your account. Please understand that as a small business we do not have the staff to personally message customers about plant availability. Once you save a plant to Wishlist you will be able to view your entire Wishlist by logging in and selecting “Wishlist” from the top menu. It is a very handy feature, and we encourage you to try it!

These dates are estimates and are subject to change without notice. Growing plants is not like making socks and events beyond our control can delay production schedules by a month or even a year. Some of our plants are seed-grown limited quantity offerings and once the stock is gone we have no means of replenishing it.

We devote the utmost care and attention to the accuracy of our descriptions. We include information on the plant’s origin, growth habit, special characteristics, blooming season, and growing conditions based on our garden trial experience here at Juniper Level Botanic Garden in Raleigh, North Carolina, USDA Zone 7b/8a (find your planting zone). We may update the description as our plants mature or as more information becomes available. We are currently working on adding plant care information and appreciate your patience on the matter.