Almost all of our many groups of plants that we offer in our catalogue and on our website have a long list of varieties in the same genus from which to choose. This blog is highlighting the ones that are the only option that we offer in their own genus. Just because they ‘stand alone’ in our catalogue doesn’t mean that they must be alone in the garden. They do ‘play well with others’ and they are special enough to deserve their own spot on the website and in our catalogue!
Bellevalia pycnantha, on the left, does resemble Muscari with similar clusters of grape-like buds on each stem. They are also members of the Liliaceae family. We are not sure why the taxonomists separated it from Muscari, but we think it’s a lovely Heirloom (1835) addition to our garden. It’s a perfect candidate for the rock garden or used in a similar fashion as you would any of the Muscari, as a border for sunny gardens or as a ‘shoes and socks’ plant with larger flowered bulbs. It is 8”-12” tall, is winter hardy in zones 5-8 and blooms in late spring.
Hermodactylus tuberosa, on the right, is a lovely, unusual and fragrant yellowish green Iris-like flower with velvety, almost black falls. Hermodactylus is also an Heirloom plant (1597) that blooms in early spring. It much more visible when planted in front of lighter colored flowers. It is 6”-8” tall and is winter hardy in zone 6-8.
Dracunculus vulgaris is huge in every way including the reddish-black spike which is surrounded by a similar colored leaflike sheath, making the spike look like it has its own vase! Its leopard spotted decorative stem supports large fingered leaves that spread out like a fan. It blooms in early summer and is followed with scarlet berries. It’s best to plant this dramatic plant away from the entrances of your house because for only a few days, it has an unpleasant fragrance as it tries to attract carrion beetles to help pollinate it! Having this bloom in your garden is a great reason for a party so all your friends can see it and make jokes about it! It grows best in full sun to partial shade, grows 18” – 30” tall and is winter hardy in zones 6-9.
Nectaroscordum siculum looks like an allium with bells! It does have many hanging, bell-shaped florets at the top of a 2’ – 3’ stem forming one large, baseball-sized flower. Its bulbs have a strong garlic smell, which helps it be critter resistant.
However, it is a member of the Liliaceae, which means, if you have four-legged critters who love to munch in your garden, you may want to use some Plantskyyd, just in case. Nectaroscordum prefers well-drained soil and full sun and is a superb cut flower. It adds an exotic addition to the very late spring garden and is winter hardy in zones 4-8.
Geranium tuberosum is an Heirloom plant (1596) nicknamed ‘Crainsbill’ and is a deer and rodent resistant perennial that creates mounds with several deep rose/purple to violet flowers at the tips of 6”-8” stems. Its decorative, deeply cut green leaves make an excellent seasonal groundcover or ‘shoes and socks plant. Performs best in a woodland-type environment with moist soil and is attractive to pollinators. It blooms in mid-late spring and is winter hardy in zones 5-9.
Pictured above, Gladiolus communis ssp. byzantinus, nicknamed Sword Lily, has many deep purplish, reddish pink flowers all the way up the 20”-24” stem, often with white stripes in the inner segments. This spring blooming glad has smaller flowers, is hardier than its summer blooming cousins and doesn’t need staking. An Heirloom (1700) that is variable, depending on the site and is winter hardy in zones 5-10. (Note: This is not the clone found in the southeast called ‘Flags’).
Ixia, nicknamed ‘Corn Lily’, is native to South Africa, with sword-like leaves and long, thin stems and star-shaped flowers. These beautiful flowers offer combinations of shades of cream, soft yellow and apricot and have up to 15 flowers per 12” – 16” stem. They prefer well-drained soil, dry summers and are attractive to pollinators. They bloom in late spring and are winter hardy in zones 8-10.
Ornathogalum nutans, nicknamed ‘Silver Bells’, is a mid-late spring blooming Heirloom (1594). It has spikes of petaled, bell-shaped flowers with definitive centers blooming alternately on top of 12”-15” stems. Each floret looks a bit similar to a silver-edged, green-petaled daffodil! It is an excellent naturalizer and is pest resistant. It has striking and long-lasting cut flowers, which should be ‘pulled’ instead of cut for a longer stem. This special gem is winter hardy in zones 5-8.
Take a look at our fall-planting catalogue to see what we have available now!
