"New" Heirloom Plants
Showing all 8 results
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Centranthus ruber Jupiter’s beard, Red Valerian, Pretty Betsy Z 5-8
Clusters of crimson, star-shaped florets atop 2’ stems bloom their heads off ALL summer into fall.
Clusters of crimson, star-shaped florets atop 2’ stems bloom their heads off ALL summer into fall.
Size: 24-36”x 12”
Care: Sun in well-drained alkaline soil, drought tolerant
Native: Mediterranean
Wildlife Value: attracts butterflies, bees and hover flies.Centranthus is from the Greek meaning “spurred flower.” According to Culpepper, an English herbalist from the early 1600’s, this plant comforts the heart and stirs up lust. Parkinson, in 1629 describes it “of a fine red colour, very pleasant to behold.”
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Lilium michiganense Michigan lily Z 4-8
The top of each erect stem curves over like a hook. A single red or orange flower dangles from the stem’s tip. Spotted petals (botanically called tepals) curve up with their tips nearly reaching the top of the flower. Stamens hang down from the center then flare out inviting bees and butterflies to its pollen. They flower for nearly a month in mid-summer.
OUT OF STOCK
The top of each erect stem curves over like a hook. A single red or orange flower dangles from the stem’s tip. Spotted petals (botanically called tepals) curve up with their tips nearly reaching the top of the flower. Stamens hang down from the center then flare out inviting bees and butterflies to its pollen. They flower for nearly a month in mid-summer.
Size: 2-5’ x 8-10”
Care: sun to part-shade in moist to moist well-drained, neutral to acidic soil.
Native: New Hampshire west to Wisconsin, south to Arkansas, east to Alabama and Florida
Wildlife Value: attracts hummingbirds, bees, and butterfliesThis had several prior names, as varieties or subspecies of Lilium canadense or Lilium speciosum. In 1915 botanist Oliver Atkins Farwell (1867-1944) renamed it in “Notes of Michigan Liliaceae,” Bulletin of Torrey Botanical Club 42, p. 353, based on one he collected in 1910 in Wiard’s Crossing, Michigan.
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Philadelphus lewisii Lewis’ Mock Orange Z 4-9
A triple delight. From late spring to early summer clusters of 2” wide, four-petaled, snow-white flowers with a center boss of sunny stamens smother stem ends on this vase-shaped shrub. The flowers perfume the air with a delicious, orange scent. Then in fall the foliage turns citrus-yellow. Idaho adopted this as the state flower.
A triple delight. From late spring to early summer clusters of 2” wide, four-petaled, snow-white flowers with a center boss of sunny stamens smother stem ends on this vase-shaped shrub. The flowers perfume the air with a delicious, orange scent. Then in fall the foliage turns citrus-yellow. Idaho adopted this as the state flower.
Size: 5-10’ x 5-7’
Care: sun to part-shade in moist to well-drained soil
Native: from British Columbia to California, east to Montana.
Wildlife Value: Nectar and pollen attract bumble bees, moths, butterflies and hoverflies. It hosts caterpillars and chrysalises. Many birds eat the seeds.Natives used its strong and hard wood to make arrows, bows, combs, pipes for smoking, snowshoes, clubs, armor to protect chests, fishing spears, harpoon shafts, sticks for digging, knitting needles and baskets. Meriwether Lewis collected this plant on the Lewis & Clark Expedition in two places, in early May 1806 in Nez Perce County Idaho and two months later in Missoula County, Montana.
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Primula beesiana Candelabra primrose, Bee’s primrose Z 4-8
From 2-8 stems, each bearing a whorl of a dozen or so small, fuchsia-pink flowers encircling each leafless stem like a ballerina’s tutu,, then alternating with a leafless stem, the another whorl of flowers then another section of leafless stem in tiers, Each whorl blooms in succession from the bottom up.
From 2-8 stems, each bearing a whorl of a dozen or so small, fuchsia-pink flowers encircling each leafless stem like a ballerina’s tutu,, then alternating with a leafless stem, the another whorl of flowers then another section of leafless stem in tiers, Each whorl blooms in succession from the bottom up.
Size: 1’ x 1’
Care: part shade in moist or moist well-drained soil in neutral to acidic pH
Native: Sichuan and Yunnan provinces in SW China and Myranmar
Wildlife Value: attracts butterflies, bees and other pollinators
Awards: Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden MeritPrimula means “first spring” in Italian. The common name “Bee’s” is not for the insect; it’s for the nursery that grew them on and sold them and funded Scottish collector George Forrest’s trip to China to hunt for plants. Forrest collected this around 1910. Naturalist Arthur Bulley (1861-1942) owned that nursery, Bees Ltd.
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Rosa xanthina Manchu rose Z 4-9
Semi-double, 2” across, yellow roses, with a musky fragrance, cover graceful, arching stems in May-June. Maroon rose hips in fall.
Semi-double, 2” across, yellow roses, with a musky fragrance, cover graceful, arching stems in May-June. Maroon rose hips in fall.
Size: 8’ x 4-6’
Care: sun to light shade in moist well-drained soil
Awards: Royal Horticultural Society Award of MeritSometime before 1820 Aylmer Lambert (1761-1842), wealthy English collector of pressed plant specimens and just about anything related to plants, acquired a painting of Rosa xanthina from China, That year English botanist and orchid specialist John Lindley (1799-1865) published a description of it from the painting, Rosarum monographia, or, A botanical History of Roses Extraordinary Dutch plant explorer Frank Meyer (1875-1918) introduced the plant to the West. Educated by working in nurseries, with an insatiable curiosity about plants and a wander lust he walked alone throughout western Europe collecting plants. Next in the US he worked for the USDA and walked in California, Cuba, and Mexico. The USDA sponsored Meyer to collect in China, making four trips from 1905 to 1918. In 1907 he sent Rosa xanthina seeds collected near Peking to Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum. He introduced about 2500 plants new to the West. Meyer is best known for his find of a semi-sweet lemon, Meyer lemon. He died of unknown causes during his last trip in China.
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Teucrium montanum Mountain germander, Creeping germander Z 5-8
Evergreen, narrow leaves covered with bouquets of flowers topped with a pair of upright, clasping petals streaked with burgundy, leading to a pair of open, white arms and a single, drooping white petal all resembling a snowman with a pointed red-streaked head blooming all summer on this spreading, cover-the-ground, drought-tolerant plant.
Evergreen, narrow leaves covered with bouquets of flowers topped with a pair of upright, clasping petals streaked with burgundy, leading to a pair of open, white arms and a single, drooping white petal all resembling a snowman with a pointed red-streaked head blooming all summer on this spreading, cover-the-ground, drought-tolerant plant.
Size: 10” x spreading
Care: sun in well-drained soil
Native: Spain across the Alps and east as far as TurkeyThe word teucrium believed to be named for Teucer, king in ancient Troy . He reputedly made medicine from teucrium. Known more than two centuries ago in ancient Greece and Rome
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Thalictrum alpinum Alpine meadowrue Z 2-9
Flowering June, purple skirt surrounding dangling yellow anthers on this petite Meadowrue
OUT OF STOCK
Flowering June, purple skirt surrounding dangling yellow anthers on this petite Meadowrue
Size: 8” x 4”
Care: sun to part shade in moist to moist well-drained soil
Native: Mountains Western US, north to Alaska, Eastern Canada, Siberia, Europe & ChinaThalictrum is from Greek meaning “to flourish” or “look green.” In China called “gao shan tang cao.” Collected before 1679.
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Wisteria frutescens syn. Wisteria macrostachya America wisteria Z. 5-8
Lush, dense, drooping, fragrant purplish-blue, pea-like racemes in late summer on new fragrant purplish-blue, pea-like. drooping flower-clusters in early summer on new stems.
Lush, dense, drooping, fragrant purplish-blue, pea-like racemes in late summer on new fragrant purplish-blue, pea-like. drooping flower-clusters in early summer on new stems.
Size: 12-20’ x 4’
Care: sun to part shade in moist, mildly acidic soil For best flowering trim vine to four buds from last year's new growth in late winter or early spring, before this year's growth begins. A legume, so it enriches the soil by adding nitrogen. Seed pods poisonous.
Native: Virginia to FL, west to TX, north to IL
Wildlife Value: Larval host for Marine Blue skipper butterfly. Deer resistantCollected before 1753. Wisteria named “in memory of Caspar Wistar,(1761-1818) M.D. late professor of anatomy in the University of Pennsylvania, and for many years president of the American Philosophical Society: a philanthropist of simple manners, and modest pretensions, but an active promoter of science.” Thomas Nuttall.
