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Orontium aquaticum

Out Clubbing

Last week, we made a short foray to pick up some spaghnum for the bog gardens we constructed last year, and it was great to see the native golden club, Orontium aquaticum already in flower. This fascinating aroid needs a bog with shallow water to survive. These plants were growing in very deep shade, but […]

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Agave sp. Sierra Azul seedlings

More than a century of mystery – Agave ‘Azul Monterrey’

The latest new mystery in the century plant world is a plant that first showed up on a German seed vendor’s website in Fall 2022 under the name, Agave ‘Azul Monterrey’. It was touted on the site as a potential new species, which always generates lots of buzz in the agave collector world. Seed were

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Narcissus 'Spoirot'

Playin’ Hoops in Winter

More of the winter-flowering hoop petticoat daffodils continue to open every week in the garden. Below is Narcissus ‘Spoirot’…an exceptional 1998 introduction, that originated at Tasmania’s Glenbrook Farm, as a cross of Narcissus bulbocodium var. conspicuus and N. cantabricus subs cantabricus var foliosus. It’s namesake is Agatha Christie’s detective extraordinare, Hercule Poirot. It was originally

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Hepatica acutiloba

Lovin’ Liver Leaf

Looking good in the garden this week is the North American native, Hepatica acutiloba. The flower color ranges from white to blue to lavender. This particular clone, now 18 years old, is a selection from St. Clair County, Alabama. Hepatica is a member of the same family, (Ranunculaceae) as clematis and hellebores. Hardiness Zone 6a-9b,

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Helleborus x nigercors 'Ice Breaker Gala'

Christmas Rose on a Stick

We’ve always loved the Christmas rose, Helleborus niger, and a few years ago, European breeders were able to cross it with Helleborus argutifolius. Helleborus niger is a white-flowered species with below ground flowering stems (acaulescent), while Helleborus argutifolius is a green-flowered species with above ground flowering stems (caulescent). The hybrids, known as Helleborus x nigercors,

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Trillium underwoodii 'Black Silver'

Black Silver Toadshade

Getting ready to open in late January at JLBG is the very rare, silver-foliaged form of the Southeast US native toadshade, Trillium underwoodii. This species is known for its highly mottled foliage, but if you look long enough, you’ll eventually find one of these odd silver-foliage variants within each species. Trillium underwoodii ‘Black Silver’ is

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Iris foetidissima in fruit

Fruity Pebbles

I was lucky enough to catch the winter fruit show on our clump of Iris foetidissima last weekend. This little-known, evergreen, woodland iris from southern Europe, suffers because of its specific epithet “foetidissima”, which means stinking. That’s probably a bit much coming from someone with hundreds of amorphophallus clones. The name reportedly was given because

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Asarum hypogynum in flower

Is Ginger Cold?

Starting off the new year is our flowering clump of the Taiwanese endemic wild ginger, Asarum hypogynum. The huge, glossy, evergreen patterned foliage is enough reason to grow this gem, but through most of the winter, the incredible floral display silently sits virtually unnoticed by most human visitors. JLBG currently houses one of the largest

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