Pleasant Run Nursery Plant Library - (WHOLESALE ONLY)

American Beech is one of our most stately native trees, and also one of the most problematic ones to transplant B&B. As a result, we are growing it in containers so everyone can have a chance to marvel at its beauty in their own landscape. The bark is beautiful all year, maintaining its silver-gray color throughout its lifespan. The summer leaves are a large and glossy dark green, often turning an attractive golden bronze in the fall. The juvenile beeches usually retain their foliage throughout the winter, turning to a soft whitish-tan after the fall. When Fagus grandifolia is mature enough to bear fertile nuts, it is a very important food source for birds and mammals.

Narrow green leaves emerge from tan culms in late spring, adding to previous season's foliage.  Vase-shaped, clumping, deer resistant and semi-evergreen.

'Elijah Blue' Blue Fescue has short powder blue foliage. It prefers cool weather and shady locations. Seedheads of Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue' are airy and beautiful. Not usually a long-lived grass, but stunning in the right location.  Native to France, this cold-hardy cultivar was found at the Plantage Nursery on Long Island.

'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.

The bright pink, Astilbe-like flowers of Queen of the Prairie bloom on tall stems in June and July. Filipendula ‘Venusta’ loves wet spots and will colonize a large area slowly. Commonly found in wet meadows throughout North America, its large, attractive foliage makes a textural impact and following its bloom period, attractive brown seedheads are produced and remain showy throughout the end of summer and into fall. A prolific self-seeder, seedheads should be removed if spread is unwanted.  It is more compact than the species and was bred in the 1950s in Great Britain.  This particular selection is so revered that it’s received the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society for its outstanding garden performance.

‘Red Umbrella’ Meadowsweet is an interspecific cross from Yohei Hosogai of Japan. Filipendula x ‘Red Umbrella’ is more compact than our native Filipendula rubra, and the foliage is showy with large green maple-shaped leaves heavily veined with purple. This is crowned with large airy pink umbels in mid summer. Filipendulas thrive in moist sunny locations (hence the other common name, ‘Queen-of-the-Prairie’), and are a vigorous long-lived addition to meadows, stream sides and sunny rain gardens.

Foeniculum vulgare ‘Purpureum’, also known as Bronze Fennel, is a strongly aromatic flowering perennial that is known as an ornamental as much as it is a culinary herb. Finely textured, feathery, fragrant foliage emerges purple and later becomes gray-green, followed by upright umbels of yellow flowers from June to July. The yellow blooms contrast beautifully with the purple foliage in the naturalistic or herb garden amongst other mid-summer flowering perennials. If spent flowers are not deadheaded, they will become aromatic, anise-scented seedheads, which will later self-seed in the garden. Fennel is a host plant for Swallowtail Butterfly larvae.

Dwarf Fothergilla has white fragrant bottlebrush flowers in April and May and they are especially showy since they appear before the foliage.  Fall foliage of Fothergilla gardenii is yellow, orange and red. It is wet site tolerant, but also does well in dryer woodland sites.  Plants may spread by root suckers.   Bees, and other pollinators are attracted to this native shrub.  The shrub is named for John Fothergill, British physician and botanist.

Fothergilla gardenii 'Suzanne' is a compact form of Dwarf Fothergilla from Dr. Michael Dirr, with beautiful white fragrant flowers in April and May, followed by lovely orange-red fall color. Named after his youngest daughter.

'Blue Shadow' Fothergilla has honey-scented white bottlebrush flowers in April and May, followed by dusty blue foliage. Fall color is a beautiful combination of yellow, orange and red. A selection by Gary Handy of Handy Nursery in Oregon.

'Mount Airy' Fothergilla has fragrant white bottlebush flowers in April and May and boasts yellow, orange and red fall foliage. Selected by Dr. Michael Dirr at the Mount Airy Arboretum for good dark blue-green foliage and consistent fall color.

The Franklin Tree has white Camellia-like fragrant flowers in late summer with striking red fall foliage. Franklinia alatamaha needs good organic matter and constant moisture in its planting location. Ours are from seed rather than cuttings and our experience is that Franklinias have more vigor and disease resistance when grown from seed.  John Bartram and his son William discovered Franklinia growing along the banks of the Altamaha River in southeastern Georgia and the genus name honors Benjamin Franklin.  Batram collected seed from this spot in the late 1700s, and few years later the tree became extinct in the wild so all Franklinia alatamaha are decedents from the original seeds.

‘Arizona Apricot’ Blanket Flower blooms from early summer to fall, producing large daisy-like flowers in shades of yellow, apricot and soft red. The habit of Gaillardia ‘Arizona Apricot’ is compact, with a mound of clean green leaves. Blanket Flowers come from prairie country, so dry soils are better for them than more fertile soils. An introduction in the Arizona series from Walters Gardens.

‘Arizona Red Shades’ Blanket Flower blooms from early to late summer, producing a multitude of red daisy-like flowers. The center cones are a lighter red, making a showy contrast to the notched petals. Gaillardia ‘Arizona Red Shades’ is propagated from seed, so there is a little variation in flower colors. The habit is compact, with clean green foliage. Poorer soils and good drainage are optimal for the ‘Arizona’ series Blanket Flowers.

Sweet Woodruff has fragrant white flowers in spring over delicate, fragrant leaves and stems that release their odor when crushed. Galium odoratum has a slow creeping habit, and benefits from a summer cutback.  Galium leaves have been used to make May wine, dried for potpourri and used commercially in perfumes.

'Kleim's Hardy' Cape Jasmine has large single white extremely fragrant flowers in July and August. Gardenias are native to southern Japan and China and grow best with morning sun and afternoon shade.  Gardenia jasminoides 'Kleim's Hardy' is one of the most cold hardy cultivars, has rounded glossy green foliage and is semi-evergreen.  This plant needs a sheltered spot.

Creeping Wintergreen is an evergreen groundcover that thrives in wooded, well drained locations. Gaultheria procumbens prefers acidic soils.  The delicate pink and white bells appear on the stems in early to mid summer and are followed by small red fruit in the fall (much loved by small woodland critters). Wintergreen is a rhizomatous, creeping, woody, evergreen groundcover of the heath family that is native to woodlands in Eastern North America.  The leaves when crushed have the lovely scent of wintergreen.

'Siskiyou Pink' Wandflower has rose-pink delicate flowers that are suspended over the bronzy-green foliage, June through October. This may not be the longest-lived perennial, but the flower output makes it well worth planting. Native to Texas and Louisiana.  A good choice for xeriscaping, rock gardens or sandy soils, may become leggy and flop if planted in rich soils.  An introduction from Siskiyou Nursery in Washington State. Cut back when flowering is finished to rosette for winter survival.  Needs good drainage to overwinter.

'Whirling Butterflies' Wandflower has arching red stems, pink flower buds which open to delicate white flowers that hover over the green foliage all summer, from June to October. Cut back when flowering is finished to rosette for winter survival.  Needs good drainage to over-winter, and prefers alkaline soils.

The fragrant yellow trumpet-shaped flowers of 'Margarita' Carolina Jessamine appear in April and May and are more prolific in full sun, although shade tolerant. Foliage is dark glossy green and semi-evergreen. This Gelsemium is a cold hardy selection sent by Tom Dodd, Jr. of Alabama to Gene Cline of Georgia, who introduced it to the trade.  It was found by Don Jacobs of Eco Gardens and he named it after his wife.

PRN Preferred:  Early season fragrant blooms completely cover this vine.  A show-stopper when in bloom, quick to establish.

'Bevan's Variety' Geranium blooms May to June, producing rose magenta 5 petaled flowers in clusters, set off by dark red centers.  The leaves are large and fuzzy, emitting a nice fragrance when brushed against.  They are a medium green in summer but turn to shades of red and bronze in the fall.  Geranium macrorrhizum 'Bevan's Variety' handles dry sites well because its rhizomes are large and fleshy.  G.  macrorrhizum cultivars tolerate hot and humid summers better than most other species.  Selected by Blooms of Bressingham.

'Ingwersen's Variety' Bigroot Cranesbill is a wonderful garden Geranium with pale pink flowers in spring and early summer. Leaves have classic Geranium odor and turn shades of orange and red in the fall.  Found by English plantsman, Walter Ingwersen in 1929 while on a hiking expedition to Mount Koprivinik, Yugoslavia (now Slovenia). More heat and shade tolerant than many species. Can be used as a groundcover.

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 and supports nearly 30 species of moth and butterfly caterpillars.  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.

PRN Preferred:  A "must have" for a woodland garden, spreads moderately by seed.

‘Crane Dance’ Spotted Cranesbill produces showy lavender blue flowers in late spring and early summer, floating over the attractive dissected green leaves. In the fall the foliage of Geranium maculatum ‘Crane Dance’ takes on bright shades of red and bronze. Spotted Cranesbill is a great native plant for woodland settings, where it will naturalize by seed. A stunning introduction from Walters Gardens.

'Espresso' Spotted Cranesbill has lavender-pink flowers over beautiful red-brown foliage that ages to bronze-green by late summer.  Leaves emerge from a thick rhizome that forms colonies over time. G. maculatum 'Espresso' is a cultivar of the native species found throughout the Eastern US. A North Creek Nurseries introduction, found in Landenberg, PA.

'Max Frei' Bloody Cranesbill has pinkish purple flowers in May and June, followed by good reddish fall color. Semi-evergreen, and a good low-growing groundcover.  Breed for its compact size and strong flower color.  

PRN Preferred:  Dense foliage makes this a good low groundcover.

Striped Bloody Cranesbill has light pink flowers with darker pink veining and blooms in May and June.  The green foliage turns reddish bronze in the fall. Semi-evergreen, and a good shade groundcover.

'Rozanne' ('Gerwat') Cranesbill has large blue purple flowers with pale blue centers. It has a somewhat sprawling habit and runs along the ground or can gracefully climbs up other plants within the garden putting on quite a show.   Geranium x 'Rozanne' robust and vigorous with a very long bloom time.... almost the entire summer! A Blooms of Bressingham® selection found in England. 2008 Perennial Plant of the Year.

PRN Preferred:  Tremendously long bloom period, great choice for scrambling up and throught other plants.

'Biokovo' Cambridge Geranium is a charming semi-evergreen groundcover which thrives in well drained sunny locations.  The white blooms are tinged with pink at the base of the petals and are enhanced by red calyces.  The flowers are produced in June and July, and hover gracefully over the low green foliage.  The fall and winter color is also attractive, turning shades of bronze and red. Geranium × cantabrigiense is a sterile hybrid geranium developed by Dr. Helen Kiefer of the Cambridge University Botanic Garden in Cambridge, England.  It is a cross between G. macrorrhizum and G. dalmaticum.  Geranium 'Biokovo' was a natural hybrid found in the Biokovo Mountains of Croatia, so its cold tolerance is excellent. 

2015 Perennial Plant of the Year and 2020 PHS Gold Medal Plant.

‘Karmina’ Cambridge Geranium is a neat groundcover which flourishes in sunny well drained sites. The mat of green leaves and trailing stems is topped in May and June by rose pink flowers which emerge from red buds. The green leaves turn shades of red in fall and are semi-evergreen. Geranium x cantabrigiense ‘Karmina’ is a good addition to rock gardens and pathway edges.

Prairie Smoke or Old Man's Whiskers is admired for its beautiful airy seedheads, which look like patches of pink blowing mist in June and July.  The actual flowers are a soft reddish pink, borne on nodding stems in May.  After pollination, they turn upward to reveal their feathery pink "smoke".   The dramatic fruit display is reminiscent of smoke billowing in the wind. Geum triflorum slowly spreads to make a low groundcover, and is particularly showy when naturalized in masses in dry low meadow settings.

‘Total Tangerine’ Avens is a showy cross between Geum rivale and Geum chiloense ‘Mrs. Bradshaw,’ hybridized by Timothy Crowther of England. Geum x ‘Totally Tangerine’ carries its large tangerine orange flowers in large fuzzy sprays high above the green foliage clump. The bloom period is long, from late spring to mid summer.  Like most sterile plants it flowers for an extended period and if deadheaded, ‘Totally Tangerine’ will occasionally rebloom as temperatures moderate in early fall. We love the large number of bright orange flowers in our perennial borders, and the added advantage of deer resistance is welcome.

PRN Preferred: The orange long-lasting blooms are striking, and the vigorous green foliage always looks fresh.

Bowman's Root is covered with delicate floating masses of white flowers from May to July. Gillenia flowers appear almost "Gaura-like" except it can be grown in part shade.  As the flowers fade, bright red calyxes remain pairing nicely with the delicate red stems.  The new foliage emerges in bronzy tones turning to green throughout the summer. Although it is happiest in cool moist sites, it tolerates dryer conditions when established. In sunnier locations the fall color can be spectacular maroon red.  A underused native plant that deserves more attention.  The name debate continues, with some voting for "Porteranthus trifoliatus". 

'Pink Profusion' Bowman's Root has lovely ethereal pinkish-white flowers that look like butterflies above the foliage. The new growth is bronze in the spring and often exhibits reddish-maroon tones in fall. The native plant gurus of North Creek Nurseries brought this new selection of Gillenia to our attention. Introduced by Mt. Cuba Center in Delaware.

‘Autumn Gold’ Maidenhair Tree is a symmetrical male Ginkgo with an attractive spreading habit. Ginkgos are dioicous, and the fleshy seeds from the females smell awful, so its important to select male cultivars. Ginkgo biloba ‘Autumn Gold’ was an introduction by Saratoga Horticultural Foundation in 1955, chosen for its shape, pest resistance and great tolerance of difficult urban conditions. The fan-shaped green leaves turn a lovely yellow in fall, and make a beautiful gold carpet when they fall. Ginkgos are among the oldest living trees, with fossils of their leaves from 150 million years ago.

Introduced by Princeton Nurseries in 1967, Ginkgo biloba Princeton Sentry® is a columnar, male cultivar of Gingko that is tolerant to many adverse conditions. Capable of handling urban sites, polluted and compacted soils, as well as saline conditions, this Ginkgo cultivar is a popular choice as a street tree. Chartreuse, two-lobed foliage turns a uniform golden yellow in autumn and persists on the tree for several weeks, eventually dropping and creating a golden, halo-like carpet around the base.

Found around an abandoned homestead in the mountain town of Boone in Avery County, North Carolina by State Extension Agent, Jeff Owen, Gladiolus dalenii ‘Boone’ is noted for being an adaptable, long-lived, and cold hardy – that’s right, COLD HARDY – perennial Gladiolus. Upright flower spikes display a gradient of pastel peach-apricot to pale yellow with red-tinged throats at the centers, emerging atop soft blue-gray spear-shaped foliage from June to July. Known to remain upright throughout the bloom period without flopping, so staking is not necessary. Attractive to hummingbirds and bees, and multiplies easily by underground corms.

Espresso™ (‘JFS’) Kentucky Coffeetree produces large doubly compound green leaves quite late in the spring (May), on coarse branches. Gymnocladus dioicus Espresso™ is a male form, which is good because the females produce very large brown seedpods (used by early settlers as a substitute for coffee).  An excellent street tree due to its high tolerance in tough spots and the dabbled shade it provides is well received by people, plants or sod growing beneath.  The habit is somewhat lanky when young, but mature Kentucky Coffeetrees are very handsome and trouble free. An introduction by J Frank Schmidt and Son of Oregon.

Summer Sparklers® (‘ESM Chispa’) Baby’s Breath blooms for an extended period from late spring through mid summer. The delicate white semi-double flowers are produced in dense panicles which completely cover the compact plant. Gysophila Summer Sparkler® keeps blooming if deadheaded, and its lightly fragrant clusters make wonderful cut or dried flowers. A big improvement from Walters Gardens and a long blooming member of the Carnation family.