Bergenia emeiensis

Virtually unknown in western cultivation, this rare (featured in the book Rare and Precious Plants of China) but easy-to-grow species from China's Mt. Omei is going to take the shade gardening world by storm...especially in warmer climates. The glossy evergreen foliage makes a stunning heat tolerant specimen in the woodland garden. In very early spring, the 1' spikes of large flowers (white or pink) are borne atop the clumps, looking like an evergreen primula...a superb floral show. In the wild, this species grows on alkaline soils in dry shade but seems to tolerate acid woodlands equally as well.