Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Araujia sericifera

Family: (Apocynaceae)

(TP) to 6′. Cruel Plant.  South America.  This twining, woody climber is another unique member of the Stonecrop plant collection.  The softly hairy, stalked leaves and loose cymes of waxy flowers belie its sinister relationship to its pollinators.  The five-petalled, white flowers are striped with two pink lines on each petal that act as a track to guide nocturnal moths toward the centre.  The sticky pollen then traps moth’s proboscides and holds them until they either escape or perish, ensuring the transfer of pollen within the flower.  An invasive species in many parts of the world, Araujia is not hardy here and thus can be safely cultivated as a handsome specimen for the warm glasshouse.  We bring our Araujia outside in the summer to enjoy its fragrant and showy flowers, and in the winter we enjoy the unique fruits under glass.  The large, leathery pods contain seeds tipped with a tuft of silky hairs, which give the plant its Latin species name of sericifera, meaning silk-bearing. Sun.  3 &T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Primula japonica 'Alba'

Family: (Primulaceae)

(P) to 18″.  A candleabra-like inflorescence of tiered white blossoms arranged in whorls along the stem.  Leaves are sphathulate, quite long and irregularly toothed.  A spring-blooming charmer for the woodland or pond edge.  Moist soil.  Partial shade.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Azorina vidalii

Family: (Campanulaceae)

(TP) to 18″.  Azores Bellflower.  Azores.  Particularly interesting for the cool greenhouse. Thick fleshy deep green leaves give rise to a candelabra of two-inch waxy, dusky pink bells. Sun. 4 & T3

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Pimpinella major 'Rosea'

Family: (Apiaceae)

(P) to 3′.  Greater Burnet Saxifrage.  A gorgeous pink flowered form of this European native.  Airy, arching, delicate umbels of pale pink are held above a leafy basal rosette of serrated, fern-like foliage.  Summer blooming.  Sun/partial shade.  Moist, well-drained soil.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Pycnanthemum pilosum

Family: (Lamiaceae)

(P) to 3′.  Hairy Mountain Mint.  Eastern and Central US.  This herbaceous perennial branches frequently to create a slender bushy appearance with flowers appearing in both terminal and axillary clusters.  The stems are light green, 4-angled, densely pubescent on all sides (giving an overall grey appearance), and very aromatic when bruised.  The upper stems terminate in branching flowerheads that are flat-topped, spanning up to one inch across.  The typical mint-like flowers are hooded and lipped with purple specks and dots scattered across its throat and the lobes of its lips.  The nectar-rich flowers are very attractive to many native pollinators.  A good candidate for the white garden.  Sun.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Clematis serratifolia

Family: (Ranunculaceae)

Hardy vine to 9′.  Korean Clematis.  A graceful Clematis with ovate to lanceolate, serrated leaves that sets forth a succession of soft yellow, nodding bells with violet stamens.  The flowers have a delicate lemon scent and bloom from August to October.  An added delight is the fluffy, white, snowball seed heads that cover the plant until winter. A stunning beauty for the late summer garden.  Sun/partial shade.  3 & 7 for 8 weeks, then T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Dianthus knappii

Family: (Caryophyllaceae)

(B/P) to 16″.  A unique, yellow flowered Dianthus native to scrubby hillsides and dry, grassy meadows in the Western Balkans.  Dense, terminal clusters of soft lemon yellow flowers on slender, nodding stems.  Loose, grassy clumps of narrow, pale green foliage.  A short-lived perennial that often dies after blooming, best treated as biennial.  Blooms in midsummer.  Well-drained soil.  Sun/partial shade.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Anoda cristata var. albiflora

Family: (Malvaceae)

(A/TP) to 3′.  Blooming from June until frost, pure white, satiny, mallow-esque flowers are accented by large triangular leaves.  Never needs deadheading.  This Central American and West Indian native prefers poor soil.  Sun.  3 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Euonymus carnosus

Family: (Celastraceae)

Deciduous shrub to 12′.  Fleshy-flowered Spindletree.  Taiwan.  A special Euonymus noted for its excellent ornamental qualities.  Fragrant creamy-white flowers in showy, dense corymbs of 5 to 8 flowers, dangle from long pedicels over a long bloom period from spring into summer.  Glossy, waxy-looking, elliptic to ovate, dark green leaves up to seven inches long are notable throughout summer.  In late summer, coral-red fruit capsules develop which split open to reveal fleshy, orange arils that encase the seeds.  The leaves turn deep-red to burgundy-purple colour in late autumn, followed by smooth grey bark in winter after leaf drop.  You cannot go wrong with this all-season show-stopper.  Full sun to partial shade. 3 & 6

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Campanula rigidipila

Family: (Campanulaceae)

(P) to 12″.  This rare plant is the world’s most southerly occurring Campanula from Ethiopia and the Kenyan highlands.  From a clump of thick, triangular, hairy, grey-green leaves, arise strong, erect stems carrying pale buds that open to lovely, clear blue bells with flared tips edged with white hairs.  Summer-blooming.  Sun.  4 & T2