Undiscovered Treasures

So often many of us get stuck in gardening ruts. We are also guilty of having a case of the "Zonal Envies". We live just a bit north of those areas where many plants can be grown safely. It does cause us to bemoan the fact that many plants such as Buford Holly, Oleander, Crepe Myrtle, and many other plants simply don't do well in our region because of the cold temperatures we experience during the winter. We then tend to stick with whatever is available locally, or to what everyone else is growing, or to the old "tried and true" plants. I am here to tell you that there are other wonderful, little-known plants that we can and should grow!

First of all, we will have to investigate on our own to seek out these wonderful plants. We aren't going to be able to go to the local home improvement center's garden shop or the Big Box store and find many of these plants. Local nurseries might not be the answer, either. We are going to have to buy from retail sources either online or through mail order. That can be scary stuff, especially when dealing with an unknown plant and from a source we aren't familiar with. But, by doing a little research, reading and studying from different resources on a given plant before taking the plunge and buying it, we can be prepared to make a sound decision about buying little-known plants. We will also tip the balance in our favor for successfully growing these wonderful plants.

Before going into my favorite "Unknown Treasures", I will pass along a few tips for you. I have found that by reading several different sources' descriptions of a given tree, shrub, or other plant, I can form a fairly accurate idea of how it will do in my area and with my growing conditions. For example, if one catalog states that a certain tree is hardy "into zone 5", and three others state that it is hardy into zone 4, I will determine that the plant will probably fare well in my zone 5b garden. I will probably plant it in a protected spot for the first couple of growing seasons, however, to acclimate it to my growing conditions.

Another thing I do is to call those numbers that I find on the sites for online retailers or on the order form for mail order sources. If the person, who perhaps is only an order-taker, cannot give me the extension or e-mail address of the staff horticulturalist or the person who would be knowledgeable about a plant I am interested in, I will tend to stay away from that source. It is only my opinion, but I feel if I am going to spend money on any plant that I am not familiar with, I want to talk to someone who knows more about that particular plant's requirements. I also feel that if a retailer is going to sell something, they should know about their plant material or have someone available who does.

One other thing that I do is to prowl one very good resource that offers feedback about other people's experiences when they order from mail-order retailers, and it can be found at this link: The Garden Watchdog Guide to Gardening by Mail. There are customer reviews of many mail order and online gardening retail resources here, and is one of my most used links.

Having said all the above, I am going to give you a bit of input on five of my favorite, seldom-seen-or-grown-in-these-parts-plants:

Caryopteris: Blue Mist Shrub: This plant is slowly gaining recognition amongst northern gardeners. Actually a sub-shrub, this plant has feathery and fragrant steel-bloom blooms over a 3x3 foot plant in the late summer into early fall. Hardy in our region, it will die back to the ground during the winter. But, new wood is what it blooms on, and numerous branches will spring from the rootstock each spring. This is a great plant for the perennial border, and adds a cool-blue accent to the late summer and early fall garden. Growing in a wide range of soil types, this plant comes in various cultivars with flowers ranging from deep bluish-purple to an almost whitish-blue. Another plus is that Caryopteris has a low moisture requirement, which is great when summers are dry.

Heptacodium miconoides: Seven Sons Tree: Here is a little-known, but gorgeous tree or shrub, depending on how one chooses to keep its shape. This is a gardener's dream:  It grows quickly, tolerates a wide variety of soil types and growing conditions, has interesting tannish-brown and peeling bark for added winter interest, flowers in the late summer to early fall with fragrant white panicles, and then in the fall, has beautiful red-burgundy flower bracts and fruits after the blossoms drop. When viewed from a distance when its bracts and fruits appear, this tree has the appearance of a Crepe Myrtle. In fact, it's nickname is "The Crepe Myrtle of the North". Hardy into zone 5, this plant was brought over to the US from China in the early 1900's, then it was forgotten until it was re-discovered in the late twentieth century. Relatively new, so to speak, to the gardening world, this plant nonetheless offers much potential for the northern gardener. Each flower stalk blooms with seven flowers, hence the name, Seven Sons Tree or Seven Sons Flower. This tree is a great under story tree, but tends to develop a multi-trunked bush or small tree, so to maintain it as a tree will require judicious pruning. Fall leaves are not the most spectacular feature of this plant, at least for the one I have growing. The leaves are yellow, but not as attractive as many yellow-leafed trees. The bracts and berries are its main attraction, and it is a show stopper! This tree is great as an under story specimen or in the semi-shaded garden. My tree is in full sun in the morning, shade in the afternoon, and will grow to about 15 feet in height and 12 feet in spread.

Parrotia persica: Here is another treasure that is little known or grown in our region. Hardy well into zone 5, Parrotia is a wonderful, semi-fast growing tree. Glossy green leaves emerge in the spring, but the real show is in the fall and winter of the year. The trees develop a beautiful persimmon-to-red colored foliage, similar to the sassafras tree, but perhaps even more brilliant. In the winter, this tree also has an interesting, peeling bark in shades of grey, brown, green, and white. Parrotia requires moisture-retentive soil, but not too moist. It doesn't like the driest area of the garden, either. It will do well in full sun to part shade, and will grow at a modestly fast rate. Its maximum height is about 30 feet, with a spread that is about 20 feet.

Calycanthus floridus: Carolina Allspice: Don't let the name fool you! It is hardy into zone 5, but does well in a semi-shaded location with rich soil. This shrub's greatest asset is its mahogany-colored flowers, resembling miniature star magnolia blooms. The scent is a wonderful, fruity fragrance. To me, it smells like strawberries and pineapples, hence its nickname, Sweetshrub. This will form a rounded bush, about 6 to 9 feet in height. It blooms in the summer, after most other bushes have finished blooming. For me, it blooms from June into July. Its conelike fruits persist into the winter, for added interest.

Amelanchier: Shadblow or Serviceberry: Here is a shrub or small tree that gets going early in the flowering season. One of the first trees to bloom, yet hardy into zone 4, Amelanchier has beautiful snow-white blooms followed by red fruits, which deepen into burgundy in color. The fruits are relished by birds and other wildlife, so are quickly gone. Another wonderful feature is its beautiful yellowish-orange to purple fall foliage. This tree or shrub can reach about 20 feet tall and wide. It does well in moisture-retentive soils, in semi-shaded conditions. In the forest, it is an under story tree.

Retail Sources

Bluestone Perennials
Roslyn Nursery
Fairweather Gardens
RareFind Nursery
Triple Oaks Nursery & Herb Garden
J.C. Baker Nursery
Greer Gardens