[ Tall American Bellflower (Campanulastrum americanum) | Posted on July 2, 2023 ] I love this native plant, and so do pollinators. There are some little native bees that show up for this flower in droves, and it's great entertainment to watch them crash into each other as they jostle for position on the flowers. |
[ Species Tulip (Tulipa orphanidea) | Posted on June 17, 2023 ] The Whittallii Group of this species received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit in 1999. |
[ Lilac (Syringa x swegiflexa) | Posted on June 11, 2023 ] This hybrid was named for its parents. At the time, Syringa sweginzowii and S. reflexa were recognized names. The former is now S. tomentella subsp. sweginzowii while the latter is currently a synonym for S. komarowii. The resulting S. x swegiflexa is a clunky name for a rather lovely hybrid. |
[ Chinese Glory Bower (Clerodendrum chinense) | Posted on June 8, 2023 ] The double-flowered form of this plant was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit in 2002. |
[ Peanut Butter Shrub (Clerodendrum trichotomum) | Posted on June 8, 2023 ] The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) gave its prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM) to Clerodendrum trichotomum var. fargesii, which is botanically synonymous with Clerodendrum trichotomum. |
[ Weigela (Weigela florida 'Variegata') | Posted on June 2, 2023 ] The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) gave their Award of Garden Merit (AGM) to both Weigela 'Florida Variegata' and Weigela 'Praecox Variegata'. These similar-but-distinct cultivars have been confused in commerce with disagreement about what differentiates them, and which is which. |
[ Rhododendron (Rhododendron anwheiense) | Posted on May 27, 2023 ] When E. H. Wilson named this plant in the 1920's, Anhui Province was known as Anwhei Province to speakers of English, hence the Latin name. Anhui is one of China's eastern provinces. |
[ Beth's Poppy (Papaver lecoqii 'Albiflora') | Posted on May 24, 2023 ] This variety is a spring favorite at Great Dixter Gardens in East Sussex, England, and the gardeners there gave it the common name Beth's Poppy, in honor of the late garden designer and plantswoman, Beth Chatto, whose nursery was presumably the source of Great Dixter's poppies. |
[ Peony (Paeonia 'Pink Lemonade') | Posted on May 12, 2023 ] From the 1953 catalog, Charles Klehm & Son Peony and Nursery Farms, Arlington Heights, Illinois: |
[ Miss Willmott's Ghost (Eryngium giganteum) | Posted on May 7, 2023 ] This plant is associated with Ellen Wilmott, a famous plantswoman and one of the first women with a leadership position in Britain's Royal Horticultural Society. |
[ Bitter Fleabane (Erigeron acris) | Posted on May 4, 2023 ] Botanists disagree about whether Erigeron acris is limited to Eurasia, or whether there are North American populations also. The 'type' of the species is European. |
[ North Tisbury Azalea (Rhododendron 'Jeff Hill') | Posted on May 3, 2023 ] The plant labeled as Rhododendron 'Jeff Hill' in the US National Arboretum is an Evergreen Azalea with pure white flowers, which is not correct. |
[ Giant Maize (Zea mays 'Olotón') | Posted on April 15, 2023 ] This ancient variety or landrace is the source of controversy about plant patents and biopiracy. This plant is considerably taller than most maize types (16 - 20 feet high), and has aerial roots that produce a kind of bacteria-rich mucus that allows the corn to fix its own nitrogen, thus doing away with the need for fertilizer. |
[ Apple (Malus domestica 'Husk Sweet') | Posted on April 11, 2023 ] This is apparently an unusual apple in that it can tolerate hot and humid growing conditions, which seems like it should be a useful thing for a warming planet. |
[ Japanese Camellia (Camellia japonica 'Nuccio's Bella Rossa') | Posted on April 4, 2023 ] This camellia has a reputation for having an unusually long blooming period. |
[ Mastic Tree (Pistacia lentiscus subsp. lentiscus) | Posted on September 12, 2022 ] The Mastic trees of the southern part of the Greek Island of Chios have been cultivated for more than 2500 years for their resin. It is used as a flavoring agent in foods, is used as a chewing gum, and is available in dietary supplements. |
[ Hot Pepper (Capsicum annuum 'Buena Mulata') | Posted on August 18, 2022 ] This is an heirloom cayenne-type variety that starts out a violet color then ages to a dark orange-red with a few color changes along the way. I got my seeds from Farmacie Isolde, and they germinated quite well, but Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. and other cool seed companies also sell it. I purchased and planted my seeds late in the season, and am looking forward to seeing the peppers change colors in the next few months, and, if I can overwinter them on the porch, the next year or so. |
[ Reticulated Iris (Iris vartanii 'White Pearl') | Posted on July 15, 2022 ] From the Correspondence section of The Garden, February 15, 1913: |
[ Double Daffodil (Narcissus 'Orange Phoenix') | Posted on July 9, 2022 ] Description from Daffodils, narcissus, and how to grow them... by Arthur Martin Kirby, 1907, p.202-3: |
[ Double Daffodil (Narcissus 'Sulphur Phoenix') | Posted on July 9, 2022 ] Description from Daffodils, narcissus, and how to grow them... by Arthur Martin Kirby, 1907, p.203: |