Tropical looking, Variegated Fiveleaf Aralia offers ivory and green large palmate leaves on a tough dry site tolerant low maintenance plant; somewhat spiny. As wonderful plantsman Fred Spicer of The Birmingham Botanic Gardens says, "For your Garden of Pain".  New name to be Eleutherococcus.

Acanthus mollis offers unusual pink-mauve flower spikes with white interior petals and purple calyces in July, held 3' to 4' above large shiny leaves. Bear's Breeches needs a shady, moist protected spot in the landscape.

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.

The pink-mauve flower spikes with white interiors of Spiny Bear's Breeches look the same as those of Acanthus mollis, but the leaves look more spiny (they aren't) and the plant is more cold tolerant. This plant makes an amazing show for 2 months in the summer on the north side of our house.

October Glory® Red Maple has green leaves following the attractive red flowers which are one of the earliest signs of spring for us in the Northeast. The fall color of October Glory® is a deep rich red and occurs 2 weeks later than other cultivars. This oval-shaped, wet site tolerant tree was found by our father, William Flemer III and has proved to be one of the best cultivars for Southern hot summers.

The cobalt blue flowers of Azure Monkshood appear in late summer and early fall. Aconitum carmichaelii 'Arendsii' blooms for a long period, and Dr. Alan Armitage says "it's the best late flowering Monkshood in cultivation."

'Ogon' Sweet Flag has bright yellow stiffly upright leaves that are a vivid addition to a wet site in the shade. The clumps of Acorus 'Ogon' get larger with age. This Sweet Flag is evergreen so it provides great winter interest.  Introduced into the U.S. by Barry Yinger.

'Misty Blue' White Baneberry is a native woodland beauty that produces white flower spikes in April above blue-green dissected foliage. The really cool detail follows in mid-summer through to fall, in the form of bright white fruit displayed on vivid red pedicels. The fruits end in a black dot, like little eyes. Introduced by Mt. Cuba Center in Delaware.

'Black Adder' Anise Hyssop has prolific deep blue bottlebrush flowers from mid summer to fall. Compact habit and excellent hardiness make this a very exciting Agastache. Dry site tolerant with deliciously fragrant foliage. From Coen Jansen.

'Heat Wave' Anise Hyssop is a lovely breakthrough in hardy color options, with bright pink flower spikes over aromatic green foliage. It blooms from June through the fall, especially if deadheaded often. An introduction by PlantHaven® from a seedling found in Holland, and a tremendous performer from our experience.

Amelanchier laevis has white flowers in early April. The reddish-purple fruit of Allegheny Serviceberry is loved by birds. Good orange-red fall color of Amelanchier laevis makes it a wonderful landscape choice to provide interest for each season. A wet site tolerant plant.

Small white flowers of Amelanchier x grandiflora Autumn Brilliance® emerge from pink buds in April. Apple Serviceberry has berries in June that will turn magenta to purple. Its brilliant red foliage brightens up the landscape in fall. A wet site tolerant plant introduced by Nurseryman Bill Wandell of Illinois.

'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®.

'Queen Charlotte' ('Konigen Charlotte') Japanese Anemone has tall semi-double silvery-pink flowers. Another winner from Germany, fall blooming.

Aquilegia canadensis 'Little Lanterns' is a dwarf selection of our native Columbine that has a lot of flower power. 'Little Lanterns' Columbine has downward facing flowers of red and yellow in April and May, a favorite for hummingbirds.

Aronia arbutifolia 'Brilliantissima' is a deciduous shrub with white flowers in May. The bright red fruit of this Red Chokeberry ripens in late summer and persists into winter. The glossy foliage turns brilliant red in fall. This plant is wet site and salt tolerant.

Goat's Beard has large white Astilbe-like flowers in June, held well above the plant. It prefers moist, shady locations and is particularly gorgeous planted in masses.

We grow a broad selection of these wonderful but under-utilized native Pawpaws. They are all ultimately 25' and perform well in full sun. Their delicious yellow fruits ripen in September or October and taste like a combination of mango and banana custard. The fruit production is the most prolific when they have a pollinator. The beautiful Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly and the Pawpaw Sphinx Moth depend on Asiminas in order to reproduce.  Contact us for our cultivar list.

Masses of delicate clear blue flowers appear on 'Raydon's Favorite' New England Aster in September and October. 'Raydon's Favorite' is tolerant of dry, rocky sites which makes sense because it was found in San Antonio, Texas by Raydon Alexander. One of famed plantsman, Rick Darke's favorites (New name is Symphyotricum oblongifolium).

Aster tataricus 'Jin-dai' is a Tatarian Daisy with lavender-blue flowers which bloom from September through November. A. 'Jin-dai' sports large tropical leaves all summer. Found in Japan by Rick Darke and Skip March. An exceptional long-blooming, dramatic perennial, with a spreading habit.

'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.

‘Bridal Veil’ Hybrid Astilbe blooms throughout May, with lots of gracefully arching white plumes held above light green foliage. Astilbe 'Bridal Veil’ is a good addition to a small shade garden, or is lovely in masses in woodland landscapes.

'Ostrich Plume' ('Straussenfeder') Astilbe has bright pink loosely arching flowers in May and June above green foliage.

Aucuba japonica boasts large shiny green leaves with spectacular large bright red berries all winter. Evergreen and unlike most variegated Aucubas, it is female.

'Rozannie' Aucuba is a compact evergreen form which has large, very lustrous green leaves.  They look almost artificial because they are so shiny and perfect.  Even more amazing are the enormous bright red berries which remain on 'Rozannie' for several months.  Since birds (and deer) do not eat the fruit, the show goes on for a long time.  A compact female form, tolerant of a wide range of soils.