AKA
H. andersonii or H. texanus. Blooms in the summer after a good
rain. With funnel-shaped yellow-orange blooms streaked with
bronze. Where summers aren't consistently dry, it just pops up
and delights you at random. Self seeds consistently and
multiplies to naturalize. Solitary stems are grasslike.
The three-sided seed capsules open with warmth to reveal papery,
black seeds. Our seeds are from plants that are deep coppery
orange on the outside of the bloom. Atypical Roots
Erect
rhizomatous perennial /w long, sharp-pointed, lance-shaped,
mid-green leaves. Tubular, scented, peachy red flowers w/ prominent
red stamens from late summer to autumn. Ours made it fine through
the winters of '01and '02 in well-drained soil behind a brick wall
here in Zone 6B. We think this is one of the finest forms
available in the trade with HUGE BLOSSOMS on large
heads.
Atypical Roots
Hedychium greenii
Red Leaf Ginger Zone: 7-10
An exciting variety spikes of bold salmon red flowers shaped like ruffled butterflies w/ a delicate scent . Only this ginger produces plantlets on the terminal inflorescence after blooming, which can be planted to produce other
plants. Fabulous foliage because of its maroon/red undersides. Definitely and eye catcher! Hardy to 0 degrees.
Atypical Roots
Soil:
Well drained H: 4-5'
W:3-4'
B/M: Salmon red/8-9
Heleniums - Helen's Flowers -
are one of the 'Backbone' plants of the late summer garden!
"This
great floriferous and low-growing native is very attractive in the
garden and in flower arrangements. It's delightful brown
spherical cones are surrounded by a flowering fringe of bright yellow
reflexed petals looking like hundreds of yellow skirted dancers in
motions. The foliage is compact and bushy. tolerant of a
wide variety of conditions, H. flexuosum blooms from mid-summer into
fall." (North Creek) East Coast Native from MA to
FL. Fast growing, drought tolerant.
Soil: Moist but well-drained
H: 18-24" W:12-18" B/M:
Yellow/7-9
This
rarely seen in the trade American native has handsome grey-green
strappy foliage with an attractive sheen on the basal rosette.
In late summer to early Fall three foot stems sport 3" wide
yellow terminal, slightly reflexed ray flowers with yellow brown
central disks. Found in the wild in mountain meadows and moist
places in western USA and discovered in the 1800's. This looks
almost nothing like the typical Heleniums you're used to -- MUCH
BIGGER FLOWERS with a charming, somewhat shaggy look - even a bit
like a sunflower with a devil-may-care twist to the rays.
Great cut flowers and WILL TAKE DRIER SOILS than some Heleniums.
Soil:
Moist but well-drained H:
3-4' W: 18-24" B/M:
Gold/7-9
Heleniums,
named for Helen of Troy, are excellent cut flowers and border
plants. These plants just bloom their heads off. Cut back by 1/2 in
early July -- when you do your asters -- for more compact plants.
Divide every 3 years. Morheim Beauty has rich bronze red
daisies in late summer
A compact selection of Helen's flower from the
Netherlands that unlike many never needs to be staked. With
small petals of deep, rich, ruby red which surround a central disc
that changes from mahogany to gold this Sneezeweed is strike near
the front of the border or even in containers.
Petals are widely spaced and often
have quilled petals.
An
early blooming Sneezeweed with bright canary yellow blooms from June
thru September! Grown commercially for cut flowers because
they last up to 10 days in a vase. An essential for the Butterfly
Garden. Fertilize sparingly to reduce weak stems. Cut back in early
June to increase branching and flowering. Bloom buds come back
quickly.
Literally
smothered with blooms the color of flames - golds, oranges - this
Helenium will definitely be a standout in your garden! A super
cut flower and a big Butterfly attraction to boot.
Dark
green foliage, reaching 24-30" lay the backdrop for brilliant,
burnt red petaled blooms around a yellow and brown cone in July and
August. Most compact than other forms, 'Rubinzwerg' performs
best under consistently moist conditions. Thoroughly
aggravated by drought but 'so' worth watering if necessary!
When
this plant blooms, everybody who sees it just stops in their
tracks. It's big, it's bold and it's gorgeous in bloom.
In average soil, it stops at around 6' but in a wet spot, it's even
taller. Definitely a back of the border stunner. However, you
you prune it back, midsummer, it will be shorter and
fuller. Will re-bloom if spent flowers are
removed.
It's
often hard to improve on Mother Nature's work, especially with a
species that's just dynamite but 'Gold Lace' is 2 feet short, not as
wide, blooms several weeks earlier and with more controlled growth
than the species so now folks with a smaller garden can have the
traffic stopping beauty of our Native Swamp Sunflower. Good
deep green, leather like foliage and a mass of blooms. Super
with ornamental grasses. (*Photo link is to the species.
They look this same but this is smaller.)
Soil:
Any, moist best but will even take dry
H:5-6' W: 2-3' B/M: Gold/8-9
See
about for description. Another
'short' Sunflower (short being relative to the tall species)
introduced by We-Du Nursery. Blooms several weeks after 'Gold
Lace' if that works better for your bloom schedule or you want them
both because you can't (and shouldn't) live with Swamp Sunflowers as
long as possible!
Soil:
Any, moist best but will even take dry
H:5-6' W: 2-3' B/M: Gold/ 8-9
Vigorous,
clump-forming perennial for damp spots with hairy, purple-green
stems and leaves 8-12" long, mainly basal. A vigorous sunflower
bearing semi-double flower heads to 6" across when disbudded, with
yellow-brown disk florets. Huge and gorgeous!
Builds
a stout & broad hedge all summer of hairy, grayish-green,
acuminate leaves. In early fall, hundreds of bright yellow, 3"
sunflowers burst into a very showy spectacle & produce excellent
bird seed! Closely associated w/ the bluestem grasses. Tuberous root
of this plant was eaten both raw or cooked by Native Americans.
Exciting
and distinctive, fine textured sun flower. Smaller features, leaves
3-4", flowers 1" +. Refreshing clear yellow color. Average to dry
conditions. One of, if not THE BEST sunflower because it will take
ANY light or soil.
Soil:
Most any but wet
H: 60-72" W: B/M: Clear yellow 8-9
Willowy
stems & attractive very narrow, fine-textured foliage topped w/
clusters of 2" blooms. Very tall but benefits from being cut by 1/2
in early July for compactness. Prefers moist soil but will even
tolerate drought after being established.
Soil:
Any but moist best H: 6-8'
W: 36"
B/M: Yellow/ 8-9
The Kemper Center at Missouri
Botanical Garden says of the following two amazing, amazing
introductions, "Parents
of this patented cultivar are unpatented H. salicifolia
(willow-leaved sunflower) cultivars ‘Golden Pyramid’ and
‘Autumn Glory’. ‘Low Down’ is a perennial sunflower
cultivar that is basically a scaled-down version (shorter plant,
shorter leaves and smaller flowers) of Helianthus ‘First
Light’."
So while some very, very reputable
folks in the trade list them as a form of H. angustifolia, we'll
align ourselves with the Kemper Center and say they are derived from
H. salicifolia not H. angustifolia. We'll go with their Zone:
4-9 information. But regardless of their Botanical Name, these
plants are
truly astounding!
Oh
my gosh. Dr. Keith Hammet of new Zealand has created a 'pet'
for his other Sunflower creation above, the very compact 'First
Light'. Well... compared, to the species (6-8' tall)
little 'ole 'Low Down' isn't big enough to be a 'companion' so it
has to be a pet! Amazing!
Planted in mass, it makes a carpet of bright daisy-like
blooms. And like all Helianthus, not fussy, not demanding,
takes poorly drained soil. Anything but very dry. This
is bordering on a genetic miracle -- from an 8' foot tall species to
a 12" tall ball of gold!
Soil:
Any but moist best H:12" W: 16-20" B/M: Yellow/ 8-9
Hundreds of golden yellow flowers with dark brown eyes form in
mid-fall on upright, self-supporting plants. Narrow elongated foliage. Stunning explosion of color for fall gardens. More manageable plant height than other Sunflowers which are much taller. Makes an excellent, stand-alone specimen plant and is superb in combination with Ornamental Grasses and Asters.
Soil:
Any but moist best H: 48"
W: 20" B/M: Yellow/ 8-9
"One
of the best False Sunflowers with a compact (3') habit. The
semi-double flowers attract butterflies from June through
September." GardenNJ.com "This is a great
plant for the busy home gardener who expects his plants to give him
more than he deserves. It will produce arm loads of flowers all
summer long and never once ask for decent soil or proper care. It
will even thrive on heavy clay where other flowers refuse to
grow." Northcreek Wholesale Nursery
Soil:
Any but moist best H: 24-36"
W: 18-24" B/M: Yellow/
6-9
$8.99 Qt.
Heliopsis helianthoides 'Lorraine Sunshine' PP10690
Variegated False Sunflower Z: 3-9
AKA, Heliopsis 'Helhan') is variegated form of a Virginia native
wit yellow flowers which shimmer in the summer garden. Quite
different. Could be just the item to jazz up a summer bed.
Introduced by Adrian Bloom -- a name that adds 'Magic' to any plant!
Particularly dazzling beside burgundy foliaged plants.
Soil: Average to Moist H: 24-30"
W:12-18" B/M:
Golden yellow/7-10
A
magnificent plant that blooms FOREVER - June thru September! Bears
single and semi-double flower heads with deep golden
yellow ray florets, sometimes flushed orange-yellow band brownish
yellow disk florets. Divide every 2-3 years. A rugged reliable plant
w/ erect branching stems. Tolerates heat well. It's complete
accurate name is actually Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra 'Sommersonne'.
This plant is hot! Corsican Hellebores have beautiful blooms of palest lime green born in profusion in late winter. A HUGE Hellebore. Wants neutral to alkaline soil, so give it some lime each
year. Will take SUN or dappled shade.
Aristocrat
of the woodland garden. One of the first flowers to bloom and
they're a welcome sight. Evergreen leaves prefer a location out of
the wind. A VERY RARE collector's plant. All parts POISONOUS. Never
move or divide. Protect from wind. We find that wherever
we plant these, moles and voles seem to avoid all the plants in the
nearby area.
Long-lived,
evergreen perennial that is the most in demand perennial on the
market. Many years from seed to bloom means a fairly high cost but
what a tremendous perennial. These are crosses with Helleborus orientalis
as a primary parent. Lots of pinks, mauves, maroons and occasionally a white or yellow. Easy & dependable. Hardy enough to live in
containers in most area. EVERY GARDEN should have these!
The following are seed grown plants from
three of our best Hellebores. They are open pollinated but
isolated from other colors so they produce fairly consistently.
$8.99 Qt.
Helleborus x hybridus 'Dark Mother'
Hybrid Hellebore Zone: 4-9
One of the prettiest, darkest blooming Hellebores in our garden is
generous with seedlings. These are her babies! No
guarantee that they'll be dark but there's a good chance since the
nearby Hellebores are also dark. It's also a chance to get into
the 2004 Plant of the Year at a modest cost. They won't bloom
for several years. See above for general information about
Helleborus x hybridus.
Seedlings
from an out-facing yellow Hellebore in our garden. No
guarantee that they'll be yellow but yellows are extremely rare and
having a yellow mother certainly increases the odds! It's also a chance to get into
the Plant of the Year 2004 at a modest cost. They won't bloom
for several years.
The
next section deals exclusively with Pine Knot Hellebores -- one the
finest Strains in the world! Their Pine Knot Select
seedlings are hand pollinated seedlings from select plants grown in
our screened in stockhouse
and hand pollinated. This obviously, greatly improves the
chances that the plant breeds true, however, no seed strain
produces 100% pure so there is no guarantee on color, just very,
very high odds, about 90-95% on the doubles for example.
Pine
Knot Hellebores took
the world by storm a couple of years ago and with good reason!
Dick and Judith Tyler of Pink Knot
Farms, in our state of Virginia, place emphasis on the hard to find
colors: slate-grays, yellow & green bi-colors with spots, and
yellow. Of course there are the typical colors - pinks, reds and
white BUT even these more common colors are cleaner and brighter in
the Pine Knot Strain. Over many years, they've culled out the
muddy, the mundane, the average and left only the best to breed with
the best! We are proud to offer their singles (and, farther down the
page, their
fabulous new doubles!)
These are seed grown plants from the Best Bicolour
Hellebores at Pine Knot. No seed strain produces 100% true but
the rate is very, very high due to Dick and Judith's hand pollinating
in a screened house free from pollinating insects.
These are seed grown plants from the Best
Dark Hellebores at Pine Knot. No seed strain produces 100% true but
the rate is very, very high due to Dick and Judith's hand pollinating
in a screened house free from pollinating insects.
These are seed grown plants from the Best
Red Hellebores at Pine Knot. No seed strain produces 100% true but
the rate is very, very high due to Dick and Judith's hand pollinating
in a screened house free from pollinating insects.