Spring 2010 Plant List I--O

 
 
 

Iris 'Black Gamecock'

'Black Gamecock' Louisiana Iris

N. America, z. 6-10. One of numerous recent hybrids among several southeastern native species (including I. fulva and I. versicolor) collectively known as Louisiana Irises. ’Black Gamecock’ is a robust, spreading 2′-tall plant bearing striking 4″ flowers of an electric blue-violet with gold crests in early summer. A real knockout! Grow in moist to wet, acidic soil in full sun to part shade. $6.00
 
 
 

Iris cristata

Dwarf Crested Iris

N. America, z. 4-9. An exquisite native Iris, only 4" to 8" tall, with typical Iris foliage that spreads slowly to form a solid mat and charming blue-violet flowers carried above the foliage in mid-spring. As tough as it's beautiful, it will tolerate sun or shade, moist or dry soil. $5.00
 
 
 

Iris tectorum

Roof Iris

China, z. 4-10. A lovely, late-spring blooming Iris with wide fans of pale green leaves and large, rather flat, frilled flowers in shades of soft blue. A low-growing Iris, only 12”-16” tall, it will nonetheless form large clumps at the front of a border, and can also be naturalized in sun or part shade and average to moist soil. Tough as nails, but much prettier! $6.00
 
 
 

Iris tectorum 'Alba'

Roof Iris

China, z. 4-10. A pure white Roof Iris with a gold-marked crest, less commonly seen than the blue form but equally lovely and just as tough. Roof Iris is surprisingly drought tolerant. $5.00
 
 
 

Iris versicolor

Blue Flag

N. America, z. 3-8. This fine native Iris rises to 4' with graceful, sword-like foliage and elegantly shaped and veined blue-violet flowers in early summer. Happy in shallow standing water or merely moist soil in sun to part shade, it will slowly spread into large clumps. A superb choice for rain gardens, stream/pond edges, or borders and a lovely cut flower, too. $7.00
 
 
 

Jeffersonia diphylla

Twinleaf

N. America, z. 4-9. The leaves are the thing with Twinleaf. Although it produces pleasant, fleeting white flowers in early spring, its real attraction is the unusual leaves, each cleft almost in two and borne on its own wiry stem. A mature clump looks like a flight of green butterflies with maroon edges to their wings. Enchanting! The seedpods are also unusual: miniature canisters with pop-top lids. A lovely plant in colonies in a partly to fully shady spot with moist soil. $6.00
 
 
 

Kirengeshoma palmata

Yellow Wax-bells

Japan, z. 5-8. An elegant oriental perennial, 3'-4' tall and eventually as wide, the mature leaves of Kirengeshoma are nearly round, palmately lobed, and a lovely pale green. The soft yellow flowers open in late summer in loose clusters carried well above the leaves on slender stems. An exotic, beautiful specimen for moist, acid soil in partial shade. $6.00
 
 
 

Kosteletzkya virginica

Seashore Mallow

N. America, z. 6-10. The only difficulty with Seashore Mallow is spelling its scientific name; apart from that it's a charmer. A relative of the Mallows (Hibiscus spp.), it is a tall—to 5'—airy plant which in late summer produces many 2" pink or occasionally white flowers with prominent, bright yellow stamens. Occurring naturally along beaches and marsh edges, it is a good waterfront or rain garden plant, but is also quite at home in average garden soil in sun. $6.00
 
 
 

Lilium canadense

Canada Lily

N. America, z. 3-8. This exquisite and rarely available native grows to 3' or more, with a single slender stem surrounded by whorls of dark green leaves. The stem provides a standard for a spectacular summer display of yellow to red-orange, pendant bells with flared petals—looks like something that should be carried aloft in an exotic ceremony. Canada Lily requires consistantly moist, acid soil, sun to part shade, and may need protection from deer and voles. Order early for spring shipment, since by late spring it is too tall and slender to ship without breakage. It can also be shipped as a dormant bulb in the fall. $12.00
 
 
 

Lilium superbum

Turk's Cap Lily

N. America, z. 4-9. The commonest wild Lily in Maryland—if any can be called common these days—is this magnificent plant. Usually found near water, a mature bulb produces 5'-6' stalks bearing a dozen or more large flowers whose strongly reflexed petals range from orange to cinnabar red with a yellow throat and maroon spots. Definitely a showstopper. Although they take time to mature they will thrive and spread in moist to wet soil in full sun to part shade. As with L. canadense they should be ordered early, or in the fall. $12.00
 
 
 

Lindera benzoin

Spicebush

N. America, z. 5-9. A fine woodland shrub, 5'-12', with an open, spreading habit. One of our earliest spring bloomers, it bears many clusters of tiny, greenish-yellow flowers, lighting up the gray-brown of the woodlands. In fall it bears oval scarlet berries which birds feed on and its foliage turns an exceptionally clear yellow even in deep shade. A host plant for the Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly, its name comes from its strongly aromatic twigs, leaves, and berries, which give off a tangy, lemony scent when crushed. Likes moist soil in partial to full shade—best fruiting with some sun. $9.00
 
 
 

Lobelia siphilitica

Great Lobelia

N. America, z. 4-8. Similar in form to Cardinal Flower but a stouter, larger-leaved plant, with spikes of clear blue flowers in late summer. Sun to partial shade in moist/wet soil. Popular with bees and butterflies and an excellent, long-lasting cut flower. $5.00
 
 
 

Lonicera sempervirens

Trumpet Honeysuckle

N. America, z. 4-9. A woody vine growing up to 15' with support, Trumpet Honeysuckle produces clusters of orange to red flowers whose narrow trumpets seems specifically designed for hummingbirds, who love them. It tolerates part shade but blooms better and longer in full sun, and is an excellent choice for growing up a trellis or over an arch. It has no scent, but is otherwise a much showier and much better behaved vine than the pestiferous Japanese Honeysuckle (L. japonica). $8.00
 
 
 

Lonicera sempervirens 'John Clayton'

'John Clayton' Trumpet Honeysuckle

N. America, z. 4-9. Trumpet Honeysuckle is normally coral red, but the blooms of 'John Clayton' are a rich apricot. Otherwise it's the same fine woody vine, growing to 15' with support and delighting hummingbirds—and gardeners. Sun to part shade and average soil. $8.00
 
 
 

Maianthemum (Smilacina) racemosum

False Solomon's Seal

N. America, z. 3-9. A very desirable woodland native better known to British gardeners, which shouldn't be the case. Smilacina's creeping rootstock puts up graceful 1'-3' stems clothed in neatly alternating spear-shaped leaves. In spring the stems are tipped with a plume of creamy white flowers, followed by showy clusters of berries speckled with purple all summer before turning translucent red in late fall. A slow spreader once established, it likes part shade and moist, humusy soil; tolerates dry shade. $7.00
 
 
 

Mertensia virginica

Virginia Bluebells

N. America, z. 3-8. One of our most beautiful woodland natives, Mertensia's plum-purple shoots push up in earliest spring, expanding into glaucous leaves of a peculiar smoothness—like a baby's skin. The 1" flowers hang bell-like from nodding stalks and are pink in bud, becoming a very pure sky blue as they open. A marvelous if short-lived display: by early summer the plants go dormant and disappear until the following spring. Mertensia prefers a moist, humus-rich soil in partial to full shade. $5.00
 
 
 

Mitchella repens

Partridgeberry

N. America, z. 3-8. An exquisite little creeper with rounded glossy leaves, pairs of tiny white flowers in late spring, and bright red berries in the fall. The creeping stems cling closely to the ground and one plant will slowly carpet a 1'-wide area. A beautifully textured plant, excellent with ferns, and a good rock garden or trough plant. Likes a well-drained soil in partial/full shade; tolerates dry shade. $5.00
 
 
 

Morella (Myrica) cerifera

Wax-myrtle, Southern Bayberry

N. America, z. 7-9. A large—10'-15'—finely textured shrub with glossy, olive-green leaves that are evergreen down to about 0°. The leaves are aromatic, as are the small, frosted blue berries which birds favor. An excellent landscape plant which can be pruned as a hedge or limbed up to make a small tree if desired, it adapts to wet or dry soils, prefers sun but tolerates part shade, and is very salt tolerant. It is also very resistant to deer browsing. Plant several for best fruiting. $8.00
 
 
 

Onoclea sensibilis

Sensitive Fern

N. America, z. 2-9. A rather tropical-looking fern with boldly cut, light green fronds to 2' in height. The spore capsules are borne on separate stalks and look like clusters of little brown beads; they look interesting all winter in the garden and are very good for dried arrangements. Sensitive fern is a spreader and a good deciduous groundcover for moist to very damp soil in partial to full shade; also good under bare-legged shrubs. $6.00
 
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