White Bear’s Breeches blooms in July and August, with glistening white petals displayed in striking purple calyces in tall showy spikes. The large dark green leaves are toothed and lustrous, and are the historic model for the leaf pattern seen at the top of Greek and Roman columns. Best if planted in a shady, humus-rich location and really eye-catching when in bloom.

'Pretty Lady Susan' Windflower has large deep pink single flowers in fall, on a very compact plant.  It never needs staking, and works well in mixed containers because of its small stature.  Like all Anemones, 'Pretty Lady Susan' needs reliable moisture to thrive.  From Mr. Yoshihiro of Japan via Blooms of Bressingham®.

'Little Princess' Hybrid Anemone has single clear pink flowers similar to 'September Charm', but the plant's habit is much more compact.  It blooms in fall and does not need staking, unlike many Anemones.  Developed by Ditoplant in the Netherlands and introduced by Blooms of Bressingham®.

'Blue Autumn' ('Oudshoorn') Aster blooms from late summer into fall, with brilliant violet-blue daisy-form flowers. The foliage is disease-resistant and the habit is upright. It was hybridized by Herbert Oudshoorn of the Netherlands, and introduced into the U.S. by Future Plants. We saw it first in our favorite Vermont Garden Center (Rockydale, in Bristol), and couldn't wait to get it into our own gardens.

Midnight Prairieblues™ False Indigo has very long spike of deep violet-blue pea-shaped flowers on large, vase-shaped plants. The blooming period covers 3 to 4 weeks because of the secondary flowers which follow the long primary blooming stems. Baptisia Midnight Prairieblues™ is another extremely hardy beauty from the extensive work of Dr.Jim Ault and Chicagoland Grows®. The drought tolerance and long life of Baptisias are hard to beat in the perennial world.

Dura-Heat® ('BNMTF') River Birch has lighter bark than Heritage® Birch, showing lovely whitish-tan exfoliating bark at a young age.  Since it hales from Georgia, its heat tolerance is excellent, with the result that its compact dark green leaves are retained all summer.  The fall color is yellow, and its striking bark makes it a particularly welcome addition to the winter landscape.  Like all River Birches, Dura-Heat® is very tolerant of wet sites and resistant to typical Birch diseases.

'Blond Ambition' Blue Grama is a lovely low-maintenance native grass which has unusual shaped inflorescences. The orange to straw-colored flowers are held horizontally off the stems, so that they look like tiny feathers. This is especially lovely when back lit by afternoon sun. When planted in mass, Bouteloua 'Blond Ambition' can serve as an infrequently mowed lawn, since it does best in full sun. It was introduced by David Salman of High Country Gardens, and brought to our attention by Steve Castorani of North Creek Nurseries.

'Betty Bowring' Heartleaf Brunnera blooms in mid-April to early June, with unusual white flowers displayed over the dark green heart-shaped leaves.  'Betty Bowring' spreads slowly to make an attractive understory groudcover in moist shady sites.

'Vanilla' Flutterby Grande™ ('Podaras #1') Butterfly Bush is another sterile breakthrough with ivory-yellow flower spikes all summer.  The fragrant flowers are wonderful butterfly and insect attractants.  Hybridized by Peter Podaras.

'Peach Cobbler' ('Podaras #5') Butterfly Bush is a new color option, with salmony-peach colored flowers all summer.  The fragrant blooms have the added advantage of being sterile, which Buddleia breeders have been working on for a long time.  This comes from Peter Podaras's work with Ball Ornamentals.

Flutterby™ 'Pink' ('Podaras #9') Butterfly Bush has sterile bubblegum pink fragrant flowers all summer.  The plant habit is medium sized, with clean green foliage.  Another Peter Podaras introduction from Ball Ornamentals.

Flutterby™ 'Lavender' ('Podaras #11') Butterfly Bush is a mid-sized plant which produces deep lavender fragrant flower spikes throughout the summer.  It was recently introduced by Ball Ornamentals and hybridized by Peter Podaras. 

Lesser Calamint is a blooming powerhouse, covered with delicate light-blue flowers from June to October. The foliage is attractively aromatic, releasing a minty scent when touched. This hard-working perennial is a reliable source of nectar for butterflies and bees, so it’s always busy with insect life. Calamintha performs best in well-drained sites with good air flow, and is neatened up by a haircut in mid-summer. An excellent filler around leggier perennials.

Purple-leafed Sweetshrubs appear on occasion in populations of Calycanthus seedlings. Richard Hesselein been selecting our own plants for a deep, showy purple cast to the new growth, followed by consistent purple coloration on the undersides of the leaves all summer. The result is much darker than the other plants we have seen and we are propagating it from cuttings to ensure this coloration. The fragrant flowers are the classic maroon-red, and the fall foliage color is yellow with shades of burgundy. Tolerant of a variety of site conditions.

'Everest' ('CarFit01') Weeping Sedge is a lovely sport of Carex 'Evergold', with ivory-white margins bordering the dark green evergreen leaves.  The soft flowing foliage does well in woodland settings and in mixed shade containers, as its bright white stripes make a showy display.  The habit is clumping.  Found in 2006 by Pat FitzGerald of Ireland who picked as appropriate name for this lovely new sedge. 

Burgundy Hearts® ('Greswan') Eastern Redbud is a refinement of the 'Forest Pansy' theme, with lavender-pink April flowers followed by reddish purple lustrous foliage.  The heart-shaped leaves hold their dark color longer in the summer taking on wine-red tones towards the fall.  Introduced by Greenleaf Nurseries.

'Pennsylvania Pride Pink Heartbreaker' Eastern Redbud is a lovely new addition to the Weeping Redbud world.  The lavender-pink flowers are produced profusely in April and May.  The foliage appears as the blooms are ending, adding to its appeal with the reddish new growth.  The heart-shaped leaves mature to dark green and are somewhat smaller than regular Cercis leaves.  Since the branches are stronger than those of other Redbuds, 'Pink Heartbreaker' is a step forward in the Weeping Redbud line.  Another excellent quality is its tendency to produce a leader.  From Eaton Farms. 

'Oklahoma' Redbud has rosy magenta flowers in April and May, followed by leathery green heart-shaped leaves.  Coming originally from Oklahoma and Texas, it shows better heat and wind tolerance than other Cercis.  Warren and Son Nursery first found this tough plant in the mountains of Oklahoma, which may explain its greater hardiness than other texensis varieties of Redbud.

'Iwai Nishiki' Floweringquince makes an unusual groundcover, blooming in April with lots of Camellia-like double red flowers.  It stays low but can get very wide so try it on a sunny hillside.

'O Yashima' Floweringquince blooms in April, becoming covered with very large white double flowers.  Cut stems in early spring for a beautiful cut flower and enjoy the fragrant yellow fruit for jellies in the fall.

'Chojuraku' Floweringquince has large double orange flowers in April.  It is a heavy bloomer.  The branches make great cut flowers in early spring.  Edible fruit (but very tart).

‘White Knight’ Fringetree is a very floriflorus compact form of our lovely native shrub. ‘White Knight’ is covered with fragrant fluffy white pendant panicles in May. It blooms at a very young age, and continues to flower very heavily year after year because it is a male clone. It was introduced by our cousin, Alan Jones of Manor View Farm, and we are very impressed with its flower power and lustrous green foliage.

Clematis 'Fascination' blooms for an extended period from mid to late summer.  The flowers are purple hanging bells with striking white edges on the upturned petals.  The centers of the graceful bells also sport showy ivory stamens.  Clematis 'Fascination' is a scrambler, not a climber, so it works well in mixed perennial beds where it has support to keep it more organized.  A recent introduction from Holland.

'Purpurea Select' Ground Clematis grows as a low scrambling vine or as a groundcover.  Its foliage emerges as a smoky purple in spring, maturing to green by mid summer.  The bronzy leaves make a great setting for the multitude of small white extremely fragrant flowers from May to June.  The star-shaped blooms mature into silvery seedheads for added interest.  Try this unusual vine as a colorful groundcover, or let it scramble up through a small shrub.  An added benefit, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden, is that Clematis recta is one of the few plants that will thrive under Black Walnuts.

'Copper' Beauty' Bladder Senna has coppery pea-shaped flowers on 4" hanging racemes in June and July.  The blooms mature to become bladder-shaped pods in interesting shades of green, bronze and purple.  The habit of this shrub is rather loose and open, and like most legumes, it does well in a variety of soil types.

‘Kay’s Appalachian Mist’ Flowering Dogwood is a new release from the University of Tennessee which shows excellent resistance to powdery mildew. The classic large white flower bracts appear in April and May and are followed in fall by the bright red fruit loved by birds. Fall color is a vivid red.

'Summer Gold' Kousa Dogwood is a yellow and gold foliage sport found in a block of C. kousa seedlings. It's easy to see why it stood out, as the leaves have bright yellow margins around the green centers. The color combination becomes even showier in the fall, when 'Summer Gold' takes on hues of red, orange, and cream. The white May flowers are an added attraction, as is its upright somewhat narrow habit. Introduced by Crispin Silva and PlantHaven®.

'Black Velvet' Smokebush produces extremely dark purple leaves in late spring which serve as a perfect setting for the pink smoke-like flowers in June. Cotinus 'Black Velvet' retains its deep foliage color better in the summer heat than most purple Smokebushes. Selected by S. Campbell of Sebastopol, California.

Alabama Croton is a very rare semi-evergreen Native from the South, which has proved to be surprisingly hardy in zone 6. The light-green leathery leaves have striking silver undersides in the summer, and the more mature foliage turns a lovely orange color in the fall. Croton alabamense prefers moist locations in semi-shade, and since it is a member of the Euphorb family, it is consistently deer resistant. The habit is loose and somewhat sprawling, so mix it in with other shrubs. Our first plant came from the generous hands of Rick Lewandowski, followed by a collection of plants from Fred Spicer of the Birmingham Botanic Gardens.

‘Peach Star’ Ice Plant has wider flatter leaves than D. cooperi, and peach-pink sun-loving flowers. Since it is a succulent, it is a wonderful groundcover for hot dry areas and rock gardens. When not in bloom, the evergreen foliage is still interesting and attractive. Dry sites are a necessity for Delosperma.

'Vintage Wine' Purple Coneflower has large flat petals of vivid raspberry-purple which surround the dark red cones. It has all the vigor of conventional Purple Coneflowers but with much deeper color intensity. It performs best in well-drained sites, and will rebloom sporadically if deadheaded just after the bloom period in June and July. Butterflies love it. The first time we saw this beauty was on the High Line, and we were stunned by the depth of the color. It performed very well in the Mt Cuba Echinacea trials.

The flowers of 'Solar Flare' Coneflower are large and red, set off by contrasting dark cones and long dark stems. The effect is striking in the garden or as a cut flower. ‘Solar Flare’ blooms for an extended time from early to late summer, especially if deadheaded occasionally. Butterflies are attracted to the vivid flowers, and the dried seedheads are an important fall food source for finches.

'Red Beauty' Barrenwort has large rose-red flowers held above the semi-evergreen foliage in April.  It spreads slowly to make an excellent groundcover for dry shady sites.  This is a hard-to-find Epimedium, but worth the hunt since its long spurred blooms are very showy.

'White Queen' Barrenwort has delicate nodding white flowers in April which are displayed over fine green leaves.  The foliage emerges as an attractive bronze color which matures to a light green when Barrenworts are in bloom.  The semi-evergreen leaves take on hues of bronze again in the fall.  Dry site tolerant and a good slow colonizer of shady areas.

‘Big Blue’ Sea Holly is an amazingly different color addition to the well-drained garden. It has silvery-green thistle-like foliage which is topped by glowing blue stems and flowers. The blooms in June look like tiny blue artichokes, and are held well above the leaves. Thriving in dry sandy sites, Eryngium ‘Big Blue’ is also deer resistant.

‘Pink Frost’ Japanese Joe Pye Weed combines beautiful pink flower clumps in September with striking leaves of green edged in creamy ivory. The vivid foliage is an addition to the perennial garden all summer.  Like its American cousins, Japanese Joe Pye Weed performs best in moist soils in sunny locations. ‘Pink Frost’ is a clump form plant which slowly widens by rhizomes. Butterflies love the deep pink flowers.

'Chicago Hardy' Fig has proven to be reliable as far north as Chicago with some protection, so it is an excellent choice for the Mid-Atlantic area.  It is thought to be originally named 'Bensonhurst Purple', and the fruit is sweet and green with a light brownish-purple blush.  Without any protection it will periodically die to the ground but will come back reliably.  With winter protection, you get fruit production much earlier in the summer.  The foliage is large, dramatic and subtly fragrant.

'Red Licorice' Fothergilla was noticed by a group of plantmen visiting the Bernheim Arboretum in Kentucky when it stood out for its vivid red fall color.  At their urging, Dr. Paul Cappiello named and introduced it to the plant world.  The fragrant white flowers appear in April, followed by clean green leaves in summer.  Then comes the fall foliage glory in shades of red even in partial shade.  We are very excited to have finally gotten our hands on this great native plant.

Spotted Cranesbill has deeply incised green leaves in a mounding habit.  The flowers are produced in quantity from late April into June in shades varying from pale pink to bright lavender-purple.  As a native species of Geranium, it naturalizes well from seed in moist locations in both sun and shade.  It is particularly effective as a loose woodland groundcover, especially when partnered with early spring bulbs, Ferns and Carex.  This is one of Landscape Architect Larry Weaner's staples for his extensive work with natural meadows and woodlands.

'Sweet Tea' Mountain Gordlinia is an amazing intergeneric cross between our native Franklinia and Gordonia, a distant relative found in China.  Dr. Thomas Ranney succeeded after years of work in producing this beautiful semi-evergreen tree which blooms for several months from mid-summer to fall.  The flowers are 5" with white petals surrounding a yellow center of showy stamens.  Its other common name is appropriately "the Fried Egg Tree".  This remarkable beauty also has beautiful reddish fall color, and is happiest in moist, humus-rich soils.  Since it, like Camellias, is in the Tea family, Tony Avent's choice of cultivar name is perfect.

Carnea Vernal Witchhazel is an orange-red form of our native Hamamelis vernalis.  The flowers appear in February and March, with delicate ribbon-like petals and a strong fragrance.  The plant habit is rather upright with dense suckering.  It handles a variety of soil and sites well, including wet and salty conditions.  Fall color is good in shades of yellow, orange and amber, but the juvenile plants tend to retain the leaves into winter (something that disappears with maturity).

'Westerstede' Witchhazel has primrose-yellow slightly fragrant blooms on the previous year's growth in February and March.  'Westerstede' is relatively upright in habit, and often has excellent fall color in shades of yellow, orange and red.  An introduction by Helmers of Germany.

‘Salsa’ Sneezeweed is a lovely compact plant with deep orange-red flowers from July to September. The blooms cover the tips of the stems for an excellent show. A great late summer addition from Arie Blom.

‘Siesta’ Sneezeweed is another compact introduction from Arie Blom, with bronze cones surrounded by amber-yellow petals throughout mid-to-late summer. The flower production is excellent especially for its shorter habit.

‘Stainless Steel’ Coral Bells comes from the excellent breeding work of the Olivers of the Primrose Path, so it copes very well with East Coast conditions. The large leaves are a steely silver with dark veins and stems. The under sides of the leaves are a beautiful deep purple, adding to the appeal of ‘Stainless Steel' when blown by breezes.  The attractive white flowers hover above the foliage in late spring and early summer.

‘Wide Brim’ Hosta has medium-sized heart-shaped leaves of dark green with creamy yellow irregular margins. It is topped by lavender flowers in August. Paul Aden introduced this showy Hosta years ago, and it’s still a winner.

Bella Anna™ ('P11HM-1') Smooth Hydrangea is a significant breakthrough in color for this species, with vivid pink re-blooming mophead flowers. The inflorescence starts with lime-green, matures to pink and ages to green again, with all three phases appearing at the same time in July and August. The pink is more intense in cooler weather. From Plant Introductions and Bailey Nurseries.

'Gentian Dome' ('Enziandom') Bigleaf Hydrangea has the deepest blue mophead flowers of all the Hortensia group, according to Dr. Michael Dirr. The color will be a deep dark pink if the soil is alkaline. The thick-textured leaves tolerate sun well, and the plant is compact enough to work well in small gardens. Introduced by Dr. August Steiniger of Germany in 1950.

Let's Dance® Starlight ('Lynn') Bigleaf Hydrangea is a reblooming lacecap which is either pink or purple-blue, depending on the soil pH.  The showy flowers start in July and keep blooming on both old and new wood into the fall.  Although the habit is compact, the excellent flower production make this a great addition to the shade garden.

‘Summer Snow’ Variegated Hardy Hydrangea has attractive cream flecked leaves displayed on red stems. The color contrast is most vivid in the spring. Open cone shaped white blooms appear in mid-to-late summer, aging to a light pink. The blooms look similar to H. p. Quick Fire®, and do not drop as fuller flowers do. ‘Summer Snow’ performs best in partial shade, and was introduced by Ted Stephens of Nuseries Caroliniana, who received it from Dr. Masato Yokoi of Japan.

‘Sweet Summer’ ('Bokrathirteen') Hardy Hydrangea is a new introduction from Ball Ornamentals, with the flower power of H. ‘Limelight’ on a smaller more compact plant. The abundant cone-shaped panicles start as lime green and rapidly mature to white. As the blooms age, they begin to take on pink shades, and since Hydrangea ‘Sweet Summer’ blooms for an extended time, the flowers end up combining both white and pink at the same time.

'Goldfinch' Winterberry has bright golden-yellow fruit in winter (no shades of orange) on a compact upright plant.  It is deciduous with attractive yellow fall color.  It is wetsite and salt tolerant.  The pollinator is 'Jim Dandy'.  We got our original plants from noted plantsman Roy Klehm of Beaver Creek Nursery in Illinois. 

White Japanese Roof Iris gets its name from its presence on thatched roofs in Japan.  Iris tectorum var. album has large white flowers with yellow throats, appearing in late April to early June.  All the Japanese Roof Irises spread to make wide patches eventually, and do best with adequate moisture but good drainage.  It is the Asian equivalent of Iris cristata 'Alba', but much bigger and not ephemeral.  A hard-to-find Iris.

Fiona Sunrise™ (‘Frojas’) Common White Jasmine is a stunning tender vine which has shown reliable hardiness as far north as Zone 6. The delicate foliage is bright chartreuse all summer, even when planted in full sun. Further south it produces fragrant white summer flowers, so its use as a protected container plant would have this added advantage. It forms a lovely contrast if allowed to scramble up through purple-leafed plants like Loropetalum or Cotinus. It may die to the ground in tough winters, but will grow to 6-8’ in the following summer. Found in England and introduced by Fromefield Nursery.

'Blue Chip' Creeping Juniper has excellent blue foliage color with a tidy low growing habit.  The blue color holds well all summer long, and becomes tipped with purple on the new growth in the winter.  Because the foliage is thick and compact, it makes an excellent low groundcover.  Introduced by Hill Nursery Company.

‘Pink Charm’ Mountain Laurel has vivid pink masses of flowers in May and June. The buds are dark red on the flower clumps, which open to the classic ballet skirt form New Englanders know and love. The foliage is evergreen and lustrous, making it attractive all year. Thrives best in well-drained acidic soil. Since Kalmia is a broadleaf evergreen, protection from winter winds is important.

‘Phenomenal’ Lavender is a sport of L. ‘Grosso’, displaying greater disease resistance, vigor and winter hardiness. It was found and introduced by Peace Tree Farms of Pennsylvania, and has shown excellent flower production and survival in commercial Lavender farms. The flowers are tall and fragrant, set off by clear silver foliage. Blooms appear in mid-summer and last a long time, making an excellent cut flower. Excellent drainage helps survival.

Whitewater® ('HOWW') Doghobble or Drooping Leucothoe has narrow ivory-white margins on the dark green lustrous evergreen leaves, for a lovely splash of light in a shady site.  The creamy white flower spikes appear in May along the gracefully arching branches.  The habit is a little more compact than the species fontanesiana, making Leucothoe Whitewater® a more attractive addition to shade gardens.  Introduced by Bob Head of Head Ornamentals.

Happidaze™ ('Hapdel') American Sweetgum is a seedless (in 30 years so far) Liquidambar with a dense dark green crown.  The glossy foliage turns attactive shades of purple and maroon in the fall, before dropping to reveal the symmetrical form.  Since Sweetgums are tolerant of a broad range of site conditions, it makes an excellent large shade tree for urban and rural settings.

Golden Wood Rush is a beautiful evergreen woodland groundcover with broad lemon-yellow blades. The color is most intense in spring and early summer changing to lime-green as the year advances. Luzula ‘Aurea’ makes an excellent weed-suppressing groundcover for both moist and dry shady locations. It is particularly attractive used in combinations with taller Ferns or Actaeas.

This member of the Bigleaf Magnolia family blooms at a very early age, with 15" white fragrant flowers of 6 to 9 petals in May and June.  Its native range is Mexico and the South, but the plants we are growing came from the generosity of Dr. John Frett of the University of Delaware, and have proven hardier than expected.  The huge light green leaves impart a tropical note to the landscape.  Happiest in moist semi-shade locations.

'Exotic Star' Magnolia is an exciting hybrid from Magnolia breeder Dennis Ledvina.  He crossed M. 'sieboldii' with M. grandiflora 'Russet' to get an evergreen plant with large white blooms that have showy orange-red stamens.  The dark green lustrous leaves have rusty indumentum on the undersides of the leaves, like its 'Russet' parent.  'Exotic Star' blooms at a young age and produces a good number of flowers during the summer.

'Fireball' Bee Balm produces fiery red blooms on a compact, mildew-resistant plant. It blooms from July to August, and is a mainstay for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. All Monardas do well in dry to average sites. Like other Bee Balms, 'Fireball' spreads by rhizomes to make a large clump eventually.

Alabama Snow-wreath is an adaptable native shrub that produces an abundance of fluffy white 1" flowers in May.  The habit is open (periodic pruning would be helpful) with clean medium green serrated leaves on arching branches.  Per Rick Darke, who has a hedge of Neviusia at his home, the very twiggy habit makes it a good screen even in winter.  Since Alabama Snow-wreath is a suckering plant it makes a good colonizer of both sun and partial shade sites.  It prefers an average to moist site, but tolerates heavy clay soils.  It is best pruned after it blooms.

Forum™ ('NXSXF') Black Tupelo has a beautifully shaped habit, producing a good central leader and horizontal branching.  With its lustrous green leaves, it looks more like a Pear or a Tilia than a Black Gum.  The fall color is a brilliant red with some yellow veining.  Birds love the blue-black fruit in late summer.  Very wet-site tolerant.  An introduction by Tree Introductions of Georgia.

'Sasaba' Holly Tea Olive has dramatic dark green deeply incised leaves on a compact, shade loving plant. Dr. Michael Dirr calls it "A plant handler's worst nightmare" because the leaves are very stiff and prickly. Of course, that is what makes it a wonderful evergreen for deer country. The insignificant flowers appear in November and are highly, deliciously fragrant. There is a lovely large plant at the Scott Arboretum, home of so many specimen plants. Slow growing, with good cold tolerance.

‘Immaculate’ Herbaceous Peony produces semi-double ivory white flowers which have an attractive fragrance. Try it as a cut flower, so you get to enjoy the fragrance more. ‘Immaculate’ Peony blooms in May and June.

‘Odd Lot’ herbaceous Peony produces bright white single guard petals surrounding finely cut white upright petals and yellow stamenoids. The form is somewhere between Japanese and Bombe form. A mid-season bloomer from hybridizer William Krekler.

‘Myron Branson’ Herbaceous Peony has amazing bright red single blooms which are set off by large rose-red stamenoids tipped with yellow. This Japanese form Peony blooms in early season and was a contribution from hybridizer William Krekler. Try this stunner as an early summer cut flower.

‘Gold Standard’ Herbaceous Peony blooms in mid-season, with large single white petals surrounding very showy lemon-yellow stamenoids. The Japanese form flowers are very fragrant, and are great as a cut flower in early summer.

‘Burma Midnight’ Herbaceous Peony has beautiful large single flowers of deep mahogany red, with vivid yellow stamens in the centers. A mid-season bloomer, it makes a wonderful cut flower because of its 38" stems. This beauty comes from the prolific hybridizing of Roy Klehm’s Song Sparrow Nursery.

Delavey's Maroon Tree Peony is a Chinese species Peony that produces single nodding maroon-red flowers in May. Because it is a seedling instead of a graft, there is some variation in flower color and size, as well as a widening habit from suckering.

‘Burgundy Bunny’ Miniature Fountain Grass has delicate green leaves which are tipped with burgundy. The short creamy seedheads are produced in July and last into the winter. Fall color is a bronzy-red. Good drainage is necessary for winter survival. Bred by Walla Walla Nursery and introduced by PlantHaven® Inc.

Chinese Pearlbloom is a very unusual small tree originally brought from China by E H (‘Chinese’) Wilson to the Arnold Arboretum. A distant relative of Idesia, Poliothyrsis has wonderful late summer flower interest, with airy ivory pyramidal clusters crowning the clean green foliage. The showy flower racemes are produced on reddish stems in August and September on current year’s growth. The effect is similar to a very late-blooming tree Lilac. The fall color is an attractive yellow, with interesting brown lilac-like seed capsules. The winter bark is an interesting brownish gray.  The Scott Arboretum has several amazing specimens in their collection. Can be grown as a medium sized tree or a very large shrub.

Great Solomon’s Seal is a woodland native perennial that deserves a place in shady gardens. The small white bell-shaped flowers in May into June hang from the stems at the leaf joints, and since they are borne in big quantities they are showy. The blooms are followed by wildlife-attracting blue-black fruit. The upright green stems appear in early spring and persist throughout the summer to add a bold architectural note to the landscape. When undisturbed Polygonatum commutatum slowly forms large colonies and does well in moist-to-wet sites.

Autumn Embers^™ Hybrid Azalea ('Conleb') is one of the hardest of this exciting group of fall blooming evergreen Azaleas. The flowers start in July and continue through the fall. The large blooms are a deep orange-red in both single and semi-double forms. The habit is low growing and tight, with dark green disease-resistant leaves. From the breeding work of Robert Lee and introduced by Flowerwood Nursery of Mobile, Alabama.

Autumn Royalty™ Hybrid Azalea ('Conlec') produces enormous magenta-purple booms from July through fall. The habit is tight but upright, with dark green evergreen foliage. Rhododendron Encore® Autumn Royalty^™ was voted “Azalea of the Year” by the American Rhododendron Society.

Sangria™ Hybrid Azalea ('Roblee') is another spring-fall bloomer from Flowerwood Nursery, producing very large dark pink single blooms in April and August through fall. Our friend Fred Judith from Plainfield, NJ first turned us on to the repeat blooming qualities of the Encore Azaleas and we were amazed by the brilliance of the fall display.

‘Choptank Rose’ Azalea is a lovely combination of both its Native Azalea parents. The fragrant flowers are a combination of rose, white and yellow and make a show in late May and June. ‘Choptank Rose’ does well in moist to wet sites, and naturalizes well in woodland settings. The great plantswoman Polly Hill found it naturally occurring along the banks of the Choptank River in Maryland and Delaware.

‘Keowee Sunset’ Azalea is a beautiful cross between two great native Azaleas. The flowers appear in May and June, in shades of pink with orange-yellow flares. The habit is upright and eventually broad, and ‘Keowee Sunset’ performs particularly well in moist sunny locations.

‘September Beauty’ Chinese Sumac was selected by Rutgers Dr. Elwin Orton for its greatly improved flower size. The panicles are greenish-white, appearing plentifully in mid-to-late summer. This Sumac makes a lovely broad-spreading tree with light green summer foliage and orange-yellow fall color. Like all Sumacs, it suckers readily and tolerates less than perfect soils.

'Creel's Quintet' Shining Sumac is a compact, landscape-worthy variety of this tough native plant.  It has the beautiful burgundy-red coloration of the species, but it reaches a maximum height of only 8 to 10'.  Its habit is suckering, so the clump will get wide eventually.  Since it is a female form, the fruit it produces is an important food source in the winter for both birds and mammals.  Mike Creel of Lexington, SC introduced it, and the "Quintet" refers to its set of 5 glossy leaflets per leaf, as opposed to the 9 or more produced on the species Rhus coppalina.  In the summer, the creamy yellow flower spikes add to the beauty of this dry site tolerant plant.

‘Ultra Violet’ Hybrid Sage has stunning rose-violet blooms that start in July and keep blooming through September. ‘Ultra Violet’ has larger flowers than most hardy Sages because of its greggii parentage. Introduced by Lauren Springer and Scott Ogden from their garden in Colorado, it is hardy enough to cope with Mid-Atlantic winters, but needs good drainage to do well. The foliage of Salvia ‘Ultra Violet’ is green and aromatic, and like other sages, deer and rabbits will avoid it. Cut back previous season’s growth in spring.

‘Standing Ovation’ Little Bluestem is an exciting new introduction by those talented folks at North Creek Nurseries. The steel blue blades are wider than most Little Bluestem, and with thicker stems, the habit is reliably upright throughout the summer, fall, and winter. The summer colors of blue with hints of purple turn to spectacular shades of purple, red, and orange in the fall. The airy seedheads are beautiful, especially when backlit by afternoon light, and the light tan winter color is displayed impressively on the upright strong stems. We find that it tolerates more irrigation than we expected, although its ideal conditions are those of dry sterile sites.

Blue Heaven™ ('MinnblueA') Little Bluestem is a lovely addition to the exciting new cultivars of our native grass. It was selected by Mary Meyer of the University of Minnesota from a field of seedlings for its improved habit and coloration. The upright stems and blades are a showy steel blue with purple overtones. The purple color intensifies as summer progresses, turning into gorgeous shades of blue, red, orange, and purple by fall. Winter color is a warm tan. The airy seedheads add to the beauty, especially when back lit. Blue Heaven™ needs a sterile, well-drained site to look its best.

‘Autumn Fire’ Stonecrop has blue-green succulent foliage which is topped by lots of rose-pink flowers in late summer. The flowers mature to bright red, finishing up a strong rusty red in fall for a long lasting color element in the landscape. Sedum ‘Autumn Fire’ performs best in good drainage or dry sites. Very attractive to butterflies and insects when in bloom.

Autumn Moor Grass is a good adaptable short grass that produces chartreuse-green fine foliage topped by delicate creamy seedheads in late summer. It is happy in both sun and partial shade, and tolerates dry sites. Most effective in large sweeps in the landscape.

Silky Stewartia is a native member of the Tea Family (like Franklinia), with beautiful white petals surrounding striking blue anthers.  The showy 3 to 4" flowers appear in July and August blooming on last year's wood.  The bark is an attractive grey-brown in winter.  This rare Native tree prefers moist but well drained woodland sites, and is a small tree (or very large shrub) for the advanced plant connoisseur.

New York Fern is a fast spreading green native that performs well as a shade groundcover.  The delicate fronds are a light green and are deciduous.  Give it a lot of space or be prepared to move the rapid growing rhyzomes periodically.  Shady moist sites are the New York Fern's preferred home.

Our cousin Alan Jones of Manor View Farms found 'Steeplechase' Arborvitae as a branch sport of Thuja x 'Green Giant', and it is considered by Dr. Michael Dirr to be a superior form.  The tight habit is pyramidal, with glossy dark evergreen foliage that retains its color well throughout winter.  Since, like its T. plicata parent, 'Steeplechase' is highly resistant to deer damage, it makes an excellent hedge or specimen for the Northeast.

Wherry's Foamflower was one of the earliest native Tiarellas to be used commercially, and it continues to be excellent as a woodland groundcover. It is clump forming, with delicate white flower spikes above slightly fuzzy green leaves. The bloom time, starting in late April and continuing to June, is longer than straight T. cordifolias. Named after Dr. Edgar Wherry.  An excellent native filler for shady or woodland gardens.

'Gold Brocade' Japanese Star Jasmine can be used as an evergreen vine or as a vigorous groundcover, with attractive multi-colored leaves that sport shades of green, yellow, orange and red. The color is particularity vivid on the new growth in spring. 'Gold Brocade' Japanese Star Jasmine tends to bloom more readily when used as a vine rather than a groundcover. It prefers shady sites, and needs good protection from cold winter exposure. If it is used as a vine, it can get to 20' high. If used as a groundcover, the height is 6-12" and the spread is 10'.

Common Toadlily is a lovely unexpected bonus in early fall, when you suddenly notice the green clumps because they become covered with showy orchid-like flowers.  The blooms vary from white to lavender, with dark purple spots and flecks and appear on the ends of the long arching stems.  We first received this tough, undemanding plant from the Morris Arboretum years ago, and it has proved to be indestructible in both moist and dry shady locations.

Everclear® ('BSNUPF') Lacebark Elm is a true fastigiate form, with delicate green leaves on a tight upright tree.  It was selected by John Barbour of Bold Spring Nursery of Georgia from a crop of seedlings.  Since Chinese Elm is both flexible in its tolerance of a variety of site conditions and neat in its leaf size, it works really well as a tree for small spaces or sidewalk and street tree plantings.  The colorful patchwork bark exfoliates in shades of orange, grey-green and tan, and provides an added attraction.

Minor Black Weigela™ ('Verweig 3') has deep reddish-maroon glossy leaves on a compact plant. The rose-pink flowers appear in May and June, adding to the appeal of the dark foliage. Minor Black™ is another lovely small shrub from the prolific hybridizers in Holland.

Wikstroemia first appeared in our garden as a gift from our dear late friend Flip Miller (Plant Geek Extraordinaire), and we enjoyed it so much that we decided to put it in to production. A small rounded deciduous shrub, it becomes covered with delicate sulfur-yellow trumpet-shaped blooms for an extended time in mid-to-late summer. Although the blooms are small, they are prolific enough to change the appearance from green to lemon yellow. The flowers are borne on new growth, so what little trimming it may need does not affect the flowering performance. Originally from Japan.