Plant Reference P--R
Pachysandra procumbens
Allegheny Spurge
Available for Fall 2008.
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N. America, z. 4-9. Allegheny Spurge is a native woodland cousin of the better known P. terminalis (Japanese Pachysandra).
It lacks the rigid formality and fast spread that makes the latter such a popular groundcover, but it's a more interesting
plant, with a looser habit, silvery mottled dark green leaves, and fat spikes of white, sweetly scented flowers in early spring.
It grows slowly into a low, wide clump in part to full shade and humusy soil, and can be used in borders as well as for naturalizing.
Fine plant!
Packera (Senecio) aurea
Golden Groundsel
N. America, z. 3-9. An under-appreciated native groundcover , 8"-12" tall, with glossy, partly evergreen leaves. In spring, slender stems tipped with purple buds opening to showy clusters of
bright yellow daisy flowers rise above the foliage. Golden Groundsel is a tough, rapid spreader, excellent as a groundcover
or naturalized in sun or shade, average to wet soil. Beautiful with ferns.
Panax quinquefolia
American Ginseng
N. America, z. 3-9. Ginseng is a modest woodland native that carries a great weight of historical significance for its long
medicinal use in the Orient, and more recently in the West. Each single-stalked plant grows about 1' high and produces three
palmate leaves with a small cluster of greenish-white flowers followed by red berries in fall. It requires a moist, well-drained,
humusy soil in the shade of deciduous trees.
Panicum virgatum
Switchgrass
Available for Fall 2008.
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N. America, z. 3-9. This magnificent grass is found over most of the U.S.; my plants are grown from local Maryland seed.
The parent plants grow upright to about 4' and are green-leaved in summer, adding russet red tints to set off the gauzy tan
panicles in fall. Switchgrass is beautiful singly or in mass plantings, and superb for erosion control. It thrives in dry
to damp soil and tolerates brackish water, which makes it excellent for seashore planting. It prefers full sun but will
tolerate a little shade.
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Virginia Creeper
Available for Fall 2008.
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N. America, z. 4-9. Virginia Creeper's big 5-part leaves, which turn an eye-searing crimson in fall, can be seen almost everywhere
on the East Coast, from seashore to mountaintop. Too rambunctious a vine for most garden use, it's a good large-area groundcover,
excellent for erosion control, and a superb cover-up for anything you don't want to see, regardless of size. And its leaves
and berries are important to wildlife. Grows in full sun to full shade—although it won't give fall color in shade—on sand, clay, or rock. A fine plant in the right place.
Passiflora lutea
Yellow Passionflower
N. America, z. 5-9. Yellow Passionflower is a delicate-looking little vine which uses its curling tendrils to scramble up
through the woodland understory in summer, then dies back to the ground each winter. Its greenish yellow flowers, barely
1" across, aren't nearly as showy as those of its tropical relatives, but just as complex when viewed up close, and are followed
by purple berries. The unusual 3-lobed leaves, often mottled with pale green and gray, are very attractive. An interesting
vine that tolerates full to part shade, won't take over the world, and repays close observation. It likes moist, acidic soil.
Penstemon canescens
Gray Beardtongue
N. America, z. 5-8. A fine Eastern member of a large genus of showy natives, gray beardtongue has neat foliage and lots of
white-throated, pink-purple tubular flowers on rigid, 18-24" stalks in early summer. It likes sun or part shade and requires well-drained soil, not too rich. A short-lived perennial
but well worth having; it may seed itself if happy.
Penstemon digitalis
Smooth Beardtongue
Available for Fall 2008.
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N. America, z. 3-9. The largest eastern Penstemon, Smooth Beardtongue has rosettes of dark green, leathery leaves which support
sturdy, 2'-4' stalks topped by open panicles of tubular white flowers flushed with purple in late spring/early summer, followed
by attractive seedpods. It will make a large clump in time. Easy and tough in sun and average soil, and attractive to hummingbirds.
Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red'
'Husker Red' Beardtongue
N. America, z. 3-9. Avery handsome variety of the above with deep red-bronze foliage and stems setting off the white flowers.
Developed and named at U. of Nebraska.
Penstemon smallii
Small's Beardtongue
Available for Fall 2008.
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N. America, z. 5-9. A colorful southeastern Penstemon with rosy purple, white-throated flowers on stiff, 1'-2' stems with
semi-glossy paired leaves. Small's Beardtongue blooms in late spring/early summer and requires well-drained soil in sun to
part shade. Drought tolerant and a hummingbird attractor, it's not a long-lived plant but will seed itself about if happy.
Penstemon x mexicale 'Red Rocks'
'Red Rocks' Penstemon
N. America, z. 5-9. Few of the many beautiful western Penstemons tolerate
East Coast summers, but this delightful US-Mexican hybrid takes hot
nights and humidity in stride. Its 12"-15"
clump-forming stems of narrow, neat foliage produce light red
flowers with white throats over a long period in summer and attract
hummingbirds. Excellent for massing in a sunny, well-drained to dry
site.
Phegopteris (Thelypteris) hexagonoptera
Broad Beech Fern
N. America, z. 5-9. Easier to grow than to pronounce, Beech Fern has broadly triangular 1'-2' fronds on spreading rhizomes.
Excellent for naturalizing, it forms lush colonies on the woodland floor or in any lightly shaded spot with moist, humusy
soil.
Phlox divaricata
Wild Blue Phlox
N. America, z. 3-9. Our very lovely woodland Phlox, the 1' plants covered in mid/late spring with flowers ranging from palest
blue to lavender to blue-violet. Superb in association with spring bulbs—or almost anything else. Likes well-drained soil in medium shade to full sun. Excellent for the border or rock garden, it
also naturalizes very well in woodland, although it does not like too thick a leaf cover.
Phlox glaberrima 'Morris Berd'
'Morris Berd' Smooth Phlox
Available for Fall 2008.
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N. America, z. 4-8. Smooth Phlox is a bridge plant, medium in size and blooming after the spring Phloxes and before Summer
Phlox. This would make it useful in the garden even if it weren't so pretty, but in fact it is, and 'Morris Berd' is a vigorous,
1'-2' form bearing quantities of pink flowers with a white eye. Like all Phloxes, it attracts butterflies. Hard to go wrong
with this one.
Phlox paniculata
Summer Phlox
Available for Fall 2008.
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N. America, z. 3-9. Multi-hued Summer Phlox hybrids are known throughout the Western garden world, but this, the original
form, is an East Coast native. It is also a very tough, vigorous perennial growing to 4' or more and crowned with massive
heads of unabashedly magenta flowers for weeks during summer's worst heat and humidity. It likes sun and moisture but tolerates
considerable shade and drought, and seems impervious to the mildew which often afflicts the hybrid forms. As dependable as
it gets.
Phlox paniculata 'David'
'David' Summer Phlox
N. America, z. 3-9. One of the best P. paniculata selections, made by the Brandywine Conservancy of PA, 'David' will top 3'
with its big heads of brilliant white flowers on sturdy, very mildew-resistant stems. Beautiful in its own right and excellent
paired with the bright pink of the straight species. Sun to part shade, average soil.
Phlox pilosa var. ozarkana
Ozark Downy Phlox
N. America, z. 4-9. A taller phlox than the preceding, its 1'-2' stems rise from a stoloniferous crown and bear clustered
flowers of a clear, carrying pink in late spring—just after P. divaricata. Good naturalized as a groundcover or planted along a fence or shrubbery, as well as in the border.
Part shade to sun, average soil.
Phlox stolonifera
Creeping Phlox
Available for Fall 2008.
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N. America, z. 3-9. At 6"-10" this lovely, very sweetly scented Phlox is a low-growing creeper, yet larger than the much better known moss phlox, P. subulata.
It comes in a gorgeous range of colors; planted together, the various cultivars will spread and mingle to form a multi-hued
spring carpet. Lovely in the border with spring bulbs or naturalized in moist, well-drained soil in partial shade. A favorite
of mine, and of many butterflies.
P. stolonifera 'Bruce's White'
pure white with yellow stamens
P. stolonifera 'Violet Queen'
rose violet
Physostegia virginiana
Obedient Plant, False Dragonhead
Available for Fall 2008.
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N. America, z. 3-9. A showy, long-blooming native with 2'-4' spikes of closely packed, purplish pink tubular flowers in late
summer. An easy, tough perennial for moist to dry soil in sun, an excellent cutting flower, and a hummingbird favorite. Its
fast-spreading habit makes it great for large spaces or naturalizing, but in a border it needs to be contained. Drought tolerant.
Physostegia virginiana 'Vivid'
'Vivid' False Dragonhead
N. America, z. 3-9. A brighter rose-purple form of the above, and less aggressive.
Podophyllum peltatum
Mayapple
Available for Fall 2008.
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N. America, z. 3-9. A fast-spreading, large-area groundcover for partial to full shade, with a single large, round leaf like
an umbrella which shades a solitary white flower—and subsequently an apple-like fruit—before disappearing into dormancy in
mid-summer. One of the most distinctive features of East Coast forests, excellent for naturalizing in any wooded area.
Provides cover for fading bulb foliage. Shipped only in fall as dormant roots.
Polemonium reptens 'Blue Pearl'
Dwarf Jacob's Ladder
Available for Fall 2008.
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N. America, z. 3-9. A robust but dainty woodland plant with abundant clusters of enchanting blue flowers in mid-spring.
The regular, opposite spacing of the leaves on the 1'+ mounds of foliage evidently evoked a ladder for someone, but it takes
imagination. No matter; it's lovely with other spring bloomers and an excellent pot plant. Does well in moist, humusy soil
in part to full shade and may seed about gently where happy.
Polygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum'
Variegated Solomon's Seal
Available for Fall 2008.
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Japan, z. 4-8. One of the best shade plants going. In early spring its shoots rise out of the ground dressed in luscious tones
of pink, cream, and palest green. They quickly expand into 2'-4' arching stems with deep-green paired leaves, each leaf crisply
brush stroked with cream. In fall, the leaves turn a rich deep yellow while retaining their cream edging. Small white bell
flowers in spring are pleasant, but the leaves are the thing. Likes average to damp, humusy soil in partial to full shade
and spreads slowly but steadily to form large colonies.
Polymnia uvedalia
Large-flowered Leafcup
N. America, z. 5-?. This East Coast native appears to be horticulturally unknown, although I don't see why. It's an excellent
foliage plant: the clumps of sturdy, 3'-6' stems are clothed in very large, maple-like leaves whose hairy surfaces catch the
light. In mid-summer they bear admittedly rather gap-toothed 2" yellow daisy flowers. A nice, bold plant for part shade and moist soil, not offered elsewhere as far as I know.
Polystichum acrostichoides
Christmas Fern
Available for Fall 2008.
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N. America, z. 4-9. This elegant evergreen fern has narrow, leathery, dark green fronds 15"-30" long. It makes a large clump in time and is excellent for borders, foundation plantings, naturalizing, or as a pot plant
on a shady deck. An under-used plant with great landscaping possibilities. Prefers moist, well-drained soil in partial to
full shade.
Primula japonica
Japanese Primrose
Japan, z. 5-9. The many flowers of this fine primrose are clustered in separate whorls ascending the l'-2' stalks—unusual and beautiful. Unlike English primroses, they die back completely in winter, but their rosettes appear again in early
spring and they bloom in May or June. The plants I offer are white or shades of rose-red. They need constantly moist to wet
soil and partial to full shade.
Primula sieboldii
Siebold's Primrose
Japan, z. 4-9. A small delight, only 6"-9" tall, with bright green, crinkled leaves and many clusters of bright pink flowers in mid-spring. Goes dormant in summer so
it's an excellent choice next to larger plants whose foliage will spread as the year advances. It likes moist soil in sun
or partial shade and where happy will spread steadily but unaggressively.
Primula veris
Cowslip
Eurasia, z. 5-9. Closely related to P. vulgaris (English Primrose), the cowslip has a rosette of bright green leaves above
which rise 8"-12" scapes bearing clusters of small, bell-shaped flowers. Although traditionally pale yellow, those I am offering vary from
yellow through orange to crimson with a gold eye. They like the same shady, moist-to-wet position as primroses, but bloom
a little later. A lovely and delicate appearing plant for the border which is tough enough to naturalize in grass or on a
stream bank.
Primula vulgaris
English Primrose
Europe, z. 5-9.
"Common" primrose, and one of the loveliest—and toughest—of a large genus. The 6"-8" plants begin blooming as early as February in z. 7, producing masses of invincibly cheerful 1" flowers in shades ranging from pale cream to golden yellow. Happy in partial shade and moist soil, they do not in the least
mind being flooded in winter, but must not be allowed to dry out totally in summer. A superb plant for the border, for edging
beds or paths, or for naturalizing in damp, grassy areas.
Primula vulgaris 'Wanda'
'Wanda' English Primrose
Europe, z. 5-9. English or "Common" Primrose is one of the loveliest—and toughest—of a large genus. The 6"-8" plants begin blooming as early as February in z. 7, producing masses of invincibly cheerful 1" flowers. The flowers are normally yellow, but 'Wanda' is deep red with a gold eye. Happy in partial shade and moist soil,
they do not in the least mind being flooded in winter, but shouldn't be allowed to dry out totally in summer. A superb plant
for the border, for edging beds or paths, or for naturalizing in damp, grassy areas.
Pycnanthemum virginianum
Virginia Mountain-mint
Prairie Hyssop
N. America, z. 5-10. Although not a particularly showy plant, Virginia Mountain-mint's white to purplish, late-summer flowers
are an excellent nectar source for butterflies and other pollinators. Native Americans once had various uses for its thyme-scented
leaves. Growing to about 2' in dry to moist soils, full sun or part shade, it is a good choice for butterfly gardens or for
naturalizing in open meadows.
Rhododendron canescens
Piedmont Azalea
N. America, z. 5-9. This is not an herbaceous perennial but a shrub native to the southeast. Like all native azaleas it
is deciduous and bears its white to pink, scented flowers in mid-spring as the new leaves are coming out. Usually found in
open woods, where it becomes tall and open-formed, it will be more compact and floriferous with a few hours of direct sun.
I am offering 3-year seedlings about 1' tall.
Rohdea japonica
Lily of China
Available for Fall 2008.
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China, Japan, z. 7(6?)-9. A fine evergreen accent plant whose deep green, leathery leaves slowly form a clump 2' or more in
height and width. Its club-like flower heads are curious but not showy, but the enormous red berries—each the size of a marble—which follow are another matter. The berried stalks stand up stoutly all winter among the shining green leaves, bright and
cheerful in the bleakest weather. They mix well with Hostas and like the same conditions: part to full shade and rich, average
to moist soil; but when the Hostas die back in the fall the Rohdeas carry right on. They even thrive in dense shade!
Rosa palustris
Swamp Rose
N. America, z. 4-8. A regionally common but unusual rose in that it is adapted to wet ground, although it does not require
it. It has fine, dark green foliage, single pink, scented flowers in June/July, nice fall color, and bright red hips that
persist through winter. It is also a big—6'-8'
—shrub that spreads by rhizomes, making it excellent for hedge use or as a large landscape shrub. Enjoys full sun to part shade,
moist to wet soil. Larger sizes only; please inquire.
Rosa virginiana
Virginia Wild Rose
N. America, z. 3-8. A very handsome, thicket forming shrub rose, 4-6' in height, with reddish stems, glossy dark green leaves
with excellent fall color, small clusters of single pink flowers in summer, and bright red hips in winter-4-season value!
It can be pruned in late winter/early spring to keep it shapely, and is a good native rose for the seashore. Full sun to light
shade, average to dry soil.
Rudbeckia fulgida
Orange Coneflower, Perennial Black-eyed Susan
Available for Fall 2008.
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N. America, z. 3-10. This beautiful Rudbeckia is deservedly popular everywhere for its vigor and ease of culture, robust,
dark green foliage, and an unbeatable display of color through the hottest months and into fall. Its 2'-3' golden-orange black-coned
flowers are indispensable to any native plant garden. It likes average to moist soil in sun to part shade, but is tolerant
of most conditions.
Rudbeckia hirta
Early Black-eyed Susan
N. America, z. 3-10. The black-eyed Susan of early to mid-summer fields and roadsides, blooming with Queen Anne's lace and
chicory, and repeating in the fall. The rays vary in shade from pale yellow to orange, sometimes with a contrasting band around
the central cone. A short-lived, self-seeding perennial, it is an essential wildflower meadow plant. Best in well-drained
soil and full sun. The state flower of Maryland.
Rudbeckia laciniata
Cutleaf or Green-headed Coneflower
N. America, z. 3-10. One of the tallest of the Rudbeckias, green-headed coneflower shoots up 5'8' to bear its 2" medium yellow flowers with reflexed rays and a green central cone. A lovely and long-blooming plant for late summer into
fall, it makes an impressive stand in sun or partial shade. Occurring naturally in moist to wet areas, it's surprisingly
tolerant of average and even dry soils.
Rudbeckia triloba
Bushy black-eyed Susan
N. America, z. 4-8. Yet another of the versatile Rudbeckias, R. triloba is a bushy, coarse-foliaged, 3'-4' plant covered
with myriad 1" black-eyed Susan flowers in late summer. A very showy plant in the border, especially in combination with coneflower (Echinacea
purpurea) or bee balm (Monarda didyma), and a good cut flower. Very popular with goldfinches. Preferring moist soil in sun
to partial shade, it is a biennial or short-lived perennial, and a heavy self-seeder.
Ruellia caroliniensis
Slender Ruellia
N. America, z. 4-9. Locally common in pastures and woodland edges, Slender Ruellia never makes a big show yet its tubular,
frosty lavender flowers consistently draw the eye among the brighter colors of midsummer. Late to get started in spring, it
is a good plant to tuck in among earlier blooming perennials, as it likes to push its slender, 1'-2' stems up through their
foliage. It blooms over a long period, especially if pinched back regularly. Sun or shade, average soil.
Ruellia humilis
Wild Petunia
N. America, z. 4-9. Not a Petunia—nor even a relative—yet this little-known eastern native does somewhat resemble one, with its softly furry leaves, reclining stems, and small
lavender trumpets with a cobwebbing of darker purple in the throat. It blooms for a long period in mid-summer, never making
a big splash but constantly producing new flowers while its stems spread outward to form a flat clump. Always looks cool and
fresh in sun to shade and well-drained soil.
Ruellia pedunculata
Appalachian Ruellia
N. America, z. 5-8. Yet another charming Ruellia, undeservedly rare in cultivation. This one forms neat clumps up to 2' of
very dark green, pointed leaves. In late spring/early summer, tubular violet flowers on long pedicels fill the leaf axils.
Since it blooms more heavily over a shorter period than the preceding species it is quite showy in flower. All the Ruellias
will self-seed, this one perhaps the most.