Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Abelmoschus manihot

Family: (Malvaceae)

(A) to 6′.  Sunset Hibiscus. Southeast Asia.  Pale yellow flowers with a highly contrasting maroon centre.  A stout plant with prickly stems and palmately-lobed leaves.  Seedpods look like okra; what a nice bonus.  Sun.  3 & T3

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Actaea alba (syn. A. pachypoda)

Family: (Ranunculaceae)

(P) to 2′. Doll’s Eyes. This American native has a long season of interest from flower to fruit. Racemes of fat, white, bottlebrush flowers bloom early and are followed by china-white berries with black eyes. Sturdy, red-flushed stems and the attractive toothed leaves add interest, too. A “must” for the woodland. Berries are poisonous! Partial shade. 3 & 7 for 3 months, then T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Actaea racemosa (syn. Cimicifuga racemosa)

Family: (Ranunculaceae)

(P) to 6′. Early Snakeroot, Black Cohosh. An eastern North American native with branched wands of white, bottlebrush flowers. Blooms prolifically in June. Light green, divided foliage remains at three feet tall. Partial shade. 3 & 6A

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Actaea simplex 'Brunette' (syn. Cimicifuga ramosa 'Brunette')

Family: (Ranunculaceae)

(P) to 6′. One of the darkest leaved Cimicifugas. Stems are a rich purplish brown with pure white, upright, fragrant flower spikes in September. Not all seedlings will be as dark as ‘Brunette’, but definitely worth a try. Partial shade. 3 & 6A

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Actaea simplex (syn. Cimicifuga simplex)

Family: (Ranunculaceae)

(P) to 4′. Bugbane.  China, Korea, Japan.  Small, numerous, creamy white, strongly fragrant flowers appear in long, terminal racemes.  The fluffy spires up to two feet long, rise above the foliage on upright, wiry stems. Astilbe-like, deeply cut, ternately compound foliage is an attractive deep green. Adds architectural height and a welcomed late-season bloom to the woodland garden.  Partial shade.  3 & 6A

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Adenophora liliifolia

Family: (Campanulaceae)

(P) to 2.5′. Lilyleaf Ladybell. Central Europe to Siberia. Fragrant, pendant, violet-blue flower bells bloom like crazy in midsummer. Excellent cut flower. Well-drained soil. Will self-sow when happy. Sun. 4 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Aethionema oppositifolium

Family: (Brassicaceae)

(P) to 2”. Caucasus. Our first alpine to bloom braving the long-awaited snowmelt. The round, glaucous, grey-blue leaves are succulent in appearance and form a dense, two-inch high mat smothered in tiny maroon buds that open to four-petalled, pale pink flowers in early spring. Definitely one of our favourites. A tough gem. Sun. 3 & T1

This seed is either sold out or unavailable

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Aethionema schistosum

Family: (Brassicaceae)

(P) to 6″.  Turkish Stone Cress.  Turkey and Lebanon.  Erect, woody stems with narrow, blue-green foliage produce rounded heads of rosy lilac, four-petalled flowers in early summer.  Interesting multi-coloured, flat seed capsules follow and persist.  A welcome self-sower.  Sun.  3 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Agastache foeniculum

Family: (Lamiaceae)

Short-lived perennial to 3.5′.  Anise Hyssop.  A North American native with aromatic, anise-scented foliage.  Lavender-blue flowers appear in many-flowered verticillasters which are densely packed into showy, cylindrical, terminal flower spikes up to 6 inches long.  Mid-summer bloomer attractive to all pollinators. Self-sows.  Sun/partial shade.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Agastache foeniculum 'Alba'

Family: Lamiaceae

Short-lived perennial to 3.5′.  White Anise Hyssop.  A white cultivar of the above. Sun/partial shade.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Agastache nepetoides

Family: (Lamiaceae)

(P) to 5′.  Yellow Giant Hyssop.  South Canada to Southeast US.  Whorls of tiny, greenish-yellow flowers closely packed into five-inch terminal spikes appear on stiff, square stems. Toothed, arrowhead-shaped leaves are up to five inches long. Whilst the leaves lack the strong smell like other species in the mint family, the bitterness of its leaves make it deer resistant.  Tolerant of summer heat and humidity, this late summer bloomer is a favourite of bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.  Grows best in rich, open woodlands. Sun/partial shade.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Agastache scrophulariifolia

Family: (Lamiaceae)

(P) to 5′. Purple Giant Hyssop. Native to eastern North America. Many terminal spikes of small, violet to rosy pink flowers on tall, branching stems. The coarsely toothed, lanceolate leaves are aromatic. Blooms July to September. Well-drained soil. Sun/partial shade. 4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Agrimonia gryposepala

Family: (Rosaceae)

(P) to 5′. Tall Agrimony. North America. Slender, erect racemes of bright yellow, five-petalled blooms open from the bottom upwards, atop upright, softly hairy plants bearing paired, coarsely toothed, chartreuse green leaves. This native of open woods and thickets makes a surprisingly attractive garden plant. A patch planted outside our greenhouses was a joy all summer. Well-drained soil. Partial shade/sun. 3 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Akebia quinata

Family: Lardizabalaceae

Hardy vine to 20′.  Chocolate Vine.  China, Korea and Japan.  Fast growing, deciduous, and ideal for covering trellises, pergolas or other structures.  The compound leaves are tinged purplish when new and mature to a handsome blue-green.  Rather showy, pendant racemes of vanilla-scented flowers with wide, purple to dark chocolate maroon sepals.  The intriguing fruits are like fat, purple sausages, opening to reveal a white, pulpy interior with black seeds.  Well-drained soil.  Sun/partial shade.  3 & T1

This seed is either sold out or unavailable

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Albuca bracteata (syn. Ornithogalum longibracteatum)

Family: (Asparagaceae)

Tender bulb to 3′.  Pregnant Onion.  South Africa.  Beautiful spikes of white striped green, star-shaped flowers.  The smooth, green bulb becomes very large and produces many bulbils attached to the sides of the mother bulb.  These bulbils become flowering size very quickly.  The foliage is two inches wide and a smooth, glossy green.  An easy and fascinating houseplant.  Sun.  3 & T3, then may need 40º for 2-3 months.