Variegated Zig-Zag Goldenrod - Solidago flexicaulis 'Variegata'

Goldenrods don't get a whole lot of love.  They're blamed for hay fever, when the real culprit is ragweed.  Most people don't separate the good ones from the bad ones, thinking they're all weeds.  Those people are sadly missing out on some great garden plants.

Even among the good garden performers, Solidago flexicaulis doesn't get much attention.  It's not popular and is rarely offered by nurseries.  This is a woodland dwelling species and native to more than half of the US, from Nova Scotia to North Dakota south to Georgia and Arkansas and East.  In the trade it is represented by only one cultivar, 'Variegata', which has broad (for a goldenrod) foliage irregularly splashed with gold.  All other attributes are identical to the species.

Being a woodland species, S. flexicaulis 'Variegata' prefers organic rich soils that are consistently moist.  It can take some wetness in springtime, but prefers well drained soils.  Morning or evening sun is best for the variegation to remain bright, but it grows in full bright shade just fine.  It is also fairly drought tolerant once established.  It does fine in my shade garden, which is on the dry side.

A rooted solid yellow shoot.

In spring the foliage emerges with bright yellow splashes of color, sometimes entire leaves may be entirely yellow or green.  Variegation does not appear to be consistent from year to year and I've never had entire sections stay  yellow or green.  Even if rooting cuttings from solid yellow stems they are variegated the next season, much to my dismay!  The upside of this is that the solid green sections also are variegated the next season, I've never had this plant fully revert to green and stay that way.





This is a fairly well behaved species, it is slightly rhizomatous, but does not spread quickly or get out of hand.  Expect clumps to be 4-5' wide in 10 years.  Stems can reach 3-4' in height, this makes it a good addition to the mid or back of the shade border.  It couples well with green or blue hostas, larger ferns, grasses, and coral bells.

In fall flowers are formed in the upper leaf axils to the terminal bud.  Some gardeners have called them insignificant, and I strongly disagree.  I find them quite attractive and a welcome addition to the fall garden.

If you're looking for some height, color, and fall blooms for the shade garden then look no further.  Give this great plant a chance, it might surprise you.  Just remember that it will eventually take up some space.

Lonicera villosa - Mountain Fly Honeysuckle

Most people hear the word honeysuckle and they think of either the invasive tartarian honeysuckle that takes over our forest lands or the flowering vine.  The genus Lonicera is quite large however, and contains a number of excellent garden plants.

One such plant is our native mountain fly honeysuckle, Lonicera villosa.  This is a shrubby boreal species found in moist areas in the northern US and ranging north through the Canadian arctic.  This northern range makes it very hardy, certainly to zone 3 and probably through zone 2 depending on the provenance of the seed.  The strain I'm growing is from here in Wisconsin.

Despite being found almost exclusively in wet areas like stream banks, marshes, bogs, and fens; this species is actually pretty adaptable and is doing just fine in my shaded garden with average moisture.  It does appreciate some direct sun and extra water during drought.  Organic rich soil is also appreciated.

Growth on my plant has been moderate to slow.  It can reach up to 5 feet tall and wide.  Currently after a number of years my plant is about 2 feet tall.  I imagine with a little more sun and moisture it would be faster growing, but it seems happy enough growing in the same conditions as my shade plants.  I grow it with Rhododendron, Hosta, Polygonatum, and Solidago flexicaulis 'Variegata'.

L. villosa has a much more refined texture than the weedy L. tatarica.  The twigs are finely textured and leaves are fairly small and bright green. In fall the leaves turn a nice clear yellow.  It isn't as bright as other yellow fall colors in the garden, but it is fairly clean and a good blend with other fall colors in the shade garden.

Blooming begins in May as the plant begins to leaf out, the flowers are small, white, and very lightly scented.  Bees love the flowers.  I imagine butterflies and hummingbirds would also like the flowers, though it blooms a bit too early here for either of them.

In late-June to mid-July blue-black fruits are formed.  They are edible and supposedly somewhat tasty.  L. villosa is closely related to L. caerulea, which is currently gaining more attention for its edible fruits and is being marketed as honeyberry.  The fruits are said to taste similar, and I can attest to honeyberry being quite good and similar to blueberry in flavor.  While my L. villosa did set fruit this year, I didn't think to try it.  I let the birds, who are quite fond of the fruit, have it.

Despite all of this plant's great attributes it's almost completely ignored for gardens.  It's nearly impossible to find in the trade, even from native plant specialty nurseries. While it certainly isn't as showy as a Hydrangea or Rhododendron, it is very worthy of garden space.  The early spring flowers are lovely and it's an excellent food plant for wildlife.  It's easy to grow and not terribly fussy.  We occasionally offer a few in the shop when we take the time to root some cuttings or grow some seed.  Give it a try sometime!   

Variegated Palm Sedge - Carex muskingumensis 'Oehme'

Compared to grasses for sunny gardens, the selection of shade-tolerant grasses is fairly limited.  But there are some great grass-like plants that really broaden the range of fine-textured accent plants for woodland conditions.  One group of grass-like plants are the sedges of the genus Carex.  One of my favorites in the genus is Carex muskingumensis, or palm sedge.  

Palm sedge gets its name from the alternating whorls of leaves which resemble miniature palm trees. Native to the midwest ranging through Ontario south to Arkansas and Oklahoma, palm sedge is found in wooded wetland areas such as marshes, sedge meadows, and river banks.  It tends to be very hardy, USDA zones (2)3-9 and like many wetland plants it is fairly adaptable to a wide range of conditions.  While you can certainly grow it as a marginal aquatic in a pond, it is equally suited to average garden conditions as long as it receives some irrigation during hot and dry summer months.  

There are a few varieties available on the market, one of the best is 'Oehme'.  This variegated mutation was found by the late Wolfgang Oehme.  Emerging bright green in spring, the foliage quickly darkens to a medium green; except for the margins which turn a nice clear yellow.  This variety typically grows between 12" and 20" tall and 24" wide, though in fertile moist conditions it could grow larger.  With age it forms a dense mound of foliage.

'Oehme' has a medium-fine texture and blends well with broad-leaved plants like Hosta, Salvia koyamae, Heuchera, and Rodgersia.  A great combo would be a few Heuchera 'Dark Secret' or 'Stainless Steel' in front of 'Oehme'; behind that a large dark Hosta like 'Empress Wu' with Phlox stolonifera 'Sherwood Purple' creeping throughout to fill space and offer flower color.

I've had 'Oehme' in the garden for a few years and it's done a good job impressing me, but I've never taken any great pictures of it for some reason.  It's been moved a couple of times and after being divided a bit this season it's settling into a new spot quite well.  

  

Turtleheads - Chelone

I'm all about plants that don't get the love they deserve from gardeners.  The various turtleheads, species in the genus Chelone, definitely fall into that category.  There are 4 species in the genus, all are native to eastern North America and all are found in moist soils usually in semi-shaded areas.  All four species bloom in late summer into fall and are GREAT additions to the fall landscape.

C. cuthbertii has the smallest range, found only in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.  I haven't seen it available in the trade, except maybe from some native plant specialty nurseries, but even then only very rarely.  Flowers are bright pink to lilac.  I've never seen it in a garden so I can't comment on size or mildew resistance.  If anyone has a nice lilac form, I'd love to give this a try!

C. obliqua is much more widespread throughout the midwest to the southeast.  Flowers range from dark pink to white.  I find this species to be prone to powdery mildew, but it is an attractive addition to the garden.  It's genetically interesting in that the specie is either tetraploid or hexaploid depending on where it comes from, there is no diploid form.  (Ploidy refers to the number of chromosome sets a cell has learn more if you wish: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ploidy)  3' tall x 5' wide in the garden.  

C. lyonii is native to the east and southeast, from Maine to Mississippi.  It has bright pink flowers.  It is the most commonly available species, by way of the variety 'Hot Lips'.  This selection differs by having reddish stems and glossy leaves that emerge with a bronze cast in spring.  I've never had mildew problems on it and it's been a good grower.  'Hot Lips' also seems to be the most drought resistant of all of the turtleheads.  Average soil is fine, but it will definitely do best in rich moist soil.  It takes up real estate though, so give it room. 3' tall x 5'+ wide.  This is the most commonly available variety for a good reason: it's FANTASTIC!  Plant it in front of a large burgundy leaf plant (Sambucus 'Black Lace' or a red lace leaf Japanese maple are good candidates) and add Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold' and Hosta 'Elvis Lives' for an awesome combo!

Chelone lyonii 'Hot Lips'

Chelone lyonii 'Hot Lips'

Chelone lyonii 'Hot Lips'

C. glabra is the most widespread species, from eastern Manitoba south to northern Mississippi and east to the coast.  While the other three species are all fairly similar to each other, this one is the definite misfit.  This species has white flowers rather than pink, the foliage is longer and narrower than the others, it tends to be much taller and not as wide.  Probably best represented in the trade by the cultivar 'Black Ace', but even so this isn't a common species.  'Black Ace' was selected for its very dark, near black stems and foliage when it emerges in spring.  This effect is said to last until late summer, but the stems and foliage turn green very quickly for me.  The green IS darker than the species though, and I consider that an improvement!  'Black Ace' has been more clump forming for me, and while it can reportedly reach up to 6' tall, it hasn't exceeded 4' tall and 3' wide for me.  After 10 years of growing this plant I have yet to take a good picture of the whole clump.  C. glabra is also the primary food plant for caterpillars of the Baltimore checkerspot butterfly, so if you're in a region that it's found (its range mirrors the range of this species) it's worth planting C. glabra as a food plant.  I find it to be an attractive addition to the perennial garden, though it probably requires more moisture than the other species.  I like to pair it with large gold hosta and ornamental grasses, and it's an excellent addition to a partially shaded rain garden!

Chelone glabra 'Black Ace'

If you haven't tried any turtleheads in the garden and have a partially shade spot, especially with rich moist soil, give one a try.  Chelone glabra 'Black Ace' or Chelone lyonii 'Hot Lips' are relatively easy to find and worthy of garden space.  

Japanese Woodland Sage - Salvia koyamae

Hearing the words Salvia or sage generally conjures images of purple, pink or red flowers in hot, full sun gardens.  But not all Salvia species are created equal.  There are a number of shade tolerant species, mostly originating from Japan.

Salvia koyamae is one such plant.  If you're unfamiliar with woodland sages and you saw this plant in the garden, you'd probably have no idea what it was.  The leaves are fairly large, triangular, bright green, and hairy.  The plant habit is 2-3' tall and 3' wide. It flowers in late summer and into fall, usually starting in September for me here in Wisconsin.  In flower is the time it looks most like a Salvia; flowers are typical shape for the genus, somewhat large (for a sage), and pale yellow.

Being a woodland denizen, this plant likes rich soil with lots of organic matter.  Consistent moisture is best. Morning to late evening sun is ideal, shade is a must during the hottest part of the day.  I find it to be fast growing in such conditions, reaching mature size in 3-4 years.

I use Salvia koyamae as a background plant and filler.  It looks great with yellow or blue hostas, japanese painted fern, pretty much any Heuchera, and any fine textured sedges or grasses like Carex muskingumensis 'Oehme'.

Salvia koyamae is one of those cool plants that isn't terribly hard to find, but still isn't common.  It deserves much wider use in gardens as it's easy to grow and offers flowers at a time when woodland gardens are in need of some flower color.

Daimyo Oak - Quercus dentata

Q. dentata in Larry Conrad's Garden

Quercus dentata is a beautiful oak ranging through China, Japan, and Korea. Common names include Daimyo Oak, Japanese Emperor Oak, and Korean Oak.  It features some of the larges leaves of any oak, up to 12 inches long and 7" wide in cultivation with reports to 20"x7" in the wild where the tree grows to 70 feet tall and nearly as wide. In cultivation it is a slow growing species, reaching 8-10 feet in 10 years.  

In the garden it prefers rich, moist, well-drained soil in partial to full sun.  Adequate moisture in summer and fall is important in maintaining health and vigor of the tree.  Habit is irregular, especially as a young tree and proper pruning will help give the tree good shape for the long haul.  Hardiness is easily zones 5-9, and very likely hardy to zone 4 as evidenced by specimens grown by Larry Conrad.

Leaves as mentioned are large and broad, with shallow lobes, pinkish with soft hairs as they unfurl changing to dark glossy green.  Fall color is a russet and like many oaks leaves will persist through the winter to fall off in spring.

Q. dentata in Larry Conrad's Garden

The species is represented in cultivation with two cultivars.  The first, 'Carl Ferris Miller' was apparently selected for having improved hardiness and vigor. Other attributes are similar to the species. It was propagated from a plant collected in Korea in 1976 by Robert and Jelena De Belder of Hemelrijk, Belgium.  Named for American-born South Korean banker, arborist, and founder of the Chollipo Arboretum in Taean-gun, South Chungcheong Province, South Korea,

The second cultivar is an amazing cut-leaf selection called 'Pinnatifida' and features deeply lobed leaves, cut nearly to the mid-vein.  Leaves are just as large as the species, though much more delicate looking.  Fall color is the same russet, growth rate is slower than the species.  This variety is unlike any other oak I've seen and is quite amazing.

Q. dentata 'Pinnatifida' in Larry Conrad's Garden

These are both quite rare in the trade and definitely worth adding to your gardens.  We carry both varieties here.  Due to their slow growth they're best thought of as small accent trees, though it's wise to give them the space to grow large.

2015 website update is DONE!

I finally finished updating the online catalog for 2015.  You can find all of the new plants here.  We are very excited about our diverse selection that has doubled this year.  Last year we had 63 varieties available, this year we've added 70 new varieties to the catalog!  What's new and exciting?  How about 2 dwarf Ginkgos, Aralia 'Sun King', Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold', some great Heuchera, a new oak, 2 willows, 9 Sedum, and A LOT of Hosta!  I'm sure we'll add a few more once spring actually arrives and we go shopping. :)

Thanks to all who ordered from, came to see us at vending events, or came to my seminars.  Happy Holidays, we'll see you all again in 2015!

Spring isn't THAT far away!