Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Delphinium tricorne

Family: (Ranunculaceae)

(P) to 3′.  A petite Delphinium with open racemes and flowers in shades of blue and violet and sometimes with white striations.  Spurs are long and turn up on the ends in an animated fashion.  Attractive foliage; each leaf being palmately cleft into 5 deeply cut lobes with each lobe being further divided into 2 to 3 secondary lobes. This Delphinium loves the woodland.  Shade.  3 & T1

This seed is either sold out or unavailable

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Tellima grandiflora

Family: (Saxifragaceae)

(P) to 2′.  Fringe Cups.  Western North America.  Racemes of lime-green, bell-shaped, filigreed, fragrant flowers turning delicate pink with age.  Basal leaves are softly hairy.  Partial shade.  4 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Helleborus orientalis

Family: (Ranunculaceae)

(P) to 2′.  Lenten Rose.  Europe.  Leaves are wide, dentate, glossy and evergreen.  Nodding, cup-shaped, pinkish rose, five-petalled flowers have numerous cream stamens.  An understated, long-blooming beauty.  Early spring.  Partial shade.  3 & 72° for 6 weeks, followed by 25-39° for 6-8 weeks.

This seed is either sold out or unavailable

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Glaucidium palmatum var. leucanthemum

Family: (Ranunculaceae)

(P) to 2′.  A lovely white form of the Japanese Wood Poppy.  Large, heavily-veined and crinkled maple-like leaves create a perfect backdrop for Poppy-like flowers comprised of four, snow white, petaloid sepals that surround a large, showy central boss of numerous bright yellow stamens.  This rare woodland aristocrat blooms in May and the show continues with interesting fruits of substantial, upright, two fused follicles which persist until fall.  Moist soil.  Partial shade.  3 & 7 & Δ

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Aruncus aethusifolius

Family: (Rosaceae)

(P) to 12″. A miniature Goat’s Beard from Korea. Bright green, finely dissected foliage forms a thick, lacy carpet. Small, dense, branched spikes of Astilbe-like, tiny, creamy flowers appear in summer. Foliage turns a beautiful burgundy in fall. Partial shade. 4 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Aralia continentalis

Family: (Araliaceae)

(P) to 4′. Manchurian Spikenard. Clump-forming, architectural perennial with arching stems of alternate, bipinnate leaves. In midsummer, many terminal racemes of green flowers are soon followed by globose, blue-black fruit. Partial shade. Likes moisture. 3 & 7 for 4 months, then T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Thalictrum actaeifolium

Family: (Ranunculaceae)

(P) to 3′.  Baneberry Leaf Meadow Rue.  Japan, Korea.  A Barry Yinger introduction.  The distinctive foliage of this Meadow Rue superficially resembles that of Baneberry.  On branched stems, the numerous, mauve-lavender, apetalous flowers appear in abundance like froth throughout the summer.  Partial shade.  3 & T1 & ∆

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Lathyrus vernus f. roseus

Family: (Fabaceae)

(P) to 12″. Spring Pea. Europe. Pretty, pale pink, pea-like flowers bloom in profusion on this low-growing perennial pea. Foliage is pinnate, providing an almost ferny effect. Simply lovely. Partial shade. 2B & 3 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Kirengeshoma palmata Koreana Group (syn. Kirengeshoma koreana)

Family: (Hydrangeaceae)

 

(P) to 4′.  A Korean dignitary.  Large, sharply lobed, maple-like leaves in opposite pairs display a handsome silvery pubescence when emerging in spring.  The foliage provides interest through late summer when the flowers emerge.  Pale yellow, waxy, five-petalled flowers are borne on a stiffly upright inflorescence.  Blooms a bit earlier than K. palmata.   A “must-have.”  Prefers partial shade.  5 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Hosta sieboldiana var. elegans

Family: (Asparagaceae)

(P) to 3′. “…most sumptuous of all the Hostas.” (GST**).  Huge, broad, glaucous, heavily textured, bluish green leaves form magnificent, stately clumps that add accent and poise to the woodland garden.  The pale lilac-white flowers appear in early to midsummer, though they barely emerge from beneath the foliage.  3 & T3, then it may need 40º for 2-3 months.