Paeonia veitchii

Paeonia veitchii (Veitch's peony) is one of my favorite peonies. I love the flowers & the leaves. It's a species of herbaceous perennial peony. It grows to about 30 inches tall & 30 inches wide, with slow & limited spread. It has a thick taproot & thin side roots, with deeply incised leaves divided into pointed segments. It has 2 to 4 slightly nodding flowers per stem. The flowers can be various shades of pink. It blooms in my Seattle garden for about 3 weeks from late May into early June. The seed pods are said to be decorative, but mine have never developed seeds. Like most peonies, it can live for decades. Unlike most hybrid peonies, it does not need staking. It is native to central China where it grows in relatively moist & partly shaded locations in open forest, grassy forest margins, between shrubs & on alpine meadows to almost 13,000 feet. It grows quite well in my garden, near sea level with afternoon sun. It can grow in no shade at all, but needs regular water in any location, even more water in full sun. I think it looks best between other perennials, ferns or small shrubs like heath, heather or Hebe. Mine grows with Alchemilla mollis (lady's mantle). I live in  Zone 8. It is also said to thrive in Zone 7 & Zone 6. It has been available from Far Reaches Farm. I got mine at one of the big spring plant sales in Seattle.

Paeonia mascula

April 2018

June 2018

July 2018

Paeonia mascula is my favorite peony. I've always preferred single peonies to those with big balls of petals. Single peonies & species peonies don't need to be supported. In my Seattle garden, Paeonia mascula blooms for about 10 days in mid-May. The flowers are 4 to 5 inches wide when fully open. Each flower lasts about 5 days before the petals begin to fall.  Even though the bloom is so fleeting, I wouldn't be without Paeonia mascula.  When I moved, I got more for my new garden.  Not only are the flowers beautiful, but the foliage is handsome throughout the season & colorful in fall.  The seeds pods are impressive when closed & colorful when open. The open pods have been called "jewel boxes."

Paeonia mascula grows to about 2 feet wide & 18 inches tall, with leaves that are divided into 3 oval leaflets. Flowers can be various shades of pink, sometimes verging on purple or red.  They can also be almost white. Paeonia mascula grows well in full sun or part shade with regular, light watering.  Soil should never be soggy. It grows very well in my zone 8 garden.  It is said to grow in zones 5 to 10, but probably is most successful in zones 7 & 8. Paeonia mascula is native from Spain to Iraq including France, Italy, the Balkans, Cyprus & Turkey. In its natural habitat, it grows between bushes in meadows & on hills. It also grows in oak, pine & beech forests. Paeonia is named for Paeon, the Greek god of healing & mascula comes from the Latin word for male.

Helleborus foetidus

Photos above taken in January 2018

 

Photos above taken in March 2018.  All photos are from my garden.

Helleborus foetidus (Stinking Hellebore) has worked exceptionally well in my dry, lightly shaded garden in Seattle.  There is moderate to fairly steep slope, so the plants are never in standing water.  A 50-foot tall Fraxinus oregana (Oregon Ash) extends sparse branches, 20 feet above ground level, over the area.  My 15 hellebores, scattered randomly, make quite a show from January through March.  The foliage is attractive all year.  The plant is called the stinking hellebore, because of the odor of its crushed leaves.  I've never noticed the odor.  It's a needlessly off-putting name.  I took seedlings no more than 5 inches tall from another garden where they were plentiful.  Those seedlings grew to their mature height (2 to 3 feet) within 3 years.  The plants continue to expand laterally as the number of stalks increase.  This is a long-lived perennial.  The stalks die after blooming & setting seed.  New stalks grow to replace them & bloom the next year.  The green or chartreuse flowers are attractive to insects, especially bees.  The leaves are dark green, but leaves, stalks & flowers are sometimes tinted red. The Wester Flisk Group of Helleborus foetidus is reliably reddish.  I suppose that my plants may be descendants of that group.  Helleborus foetidus is native to the mountainous regions of Central and Southern Europe, Greece & Turkey.

Crocus kotschyanus

Crocus kotschyanus is a fall-blooming perennial bulb, flowering in late September & early October.  There are several subspecies from Turkey, the Causasus, Syria & Lebanon.  They can be blue, pink, lilac or purple, usually with conspicuous veins.  They are said to spread readily from seed, but that wasn't true in my garden.  Foliage appears in spring.  The are xeric to the point of needing little or no irrigation.  They can be ordered online or by catalog from various bulb companies.  There are many other species of  Crocus that bloom in the fall.  But most are not easy to find.  If you like Crocus, consider searching for them.

Eucomis comosa

Eucomis comosa is one of the most beautiful perennial bulbs.  It usually blooms in August in Seattle.  The first blossoms open at the bottom of the stalk & slowly proceed to the top.  The dark red seed pods are also quite attractive.  Eucomis comosa is known at the Pineapple Lily because of the tuft of leaves at the top of the flower stalk, which cause it to resemble a pineapple.  This plant is native to South Africa, but hardy in Seattle.  The flower spikes multiply every year.  It comes in colors from white through light pink to deep burgundy.  It is easily available through mail order, the least expensive way to buy it.  You can also get it at nurseries when it is in bloom, but the number of plants available are usually rather few.  Eucomis comosa needs full sun, regular water & rich soil to grow well.  It does not tolerate dryness.  It looks lovely in pots, but does much better in the ground.  I think they look very nice combined with oriental lilies, as shown in the photo above.

Clematis integrifolia

Clematis integrifolia 'Hanajima'

Clematis integrifolia is a flowering perennial for sun.  It blooms from early to mid-summer in Seattle.  The word Clematis is taken from the Greek word for climbing plants.  Integrifolia means entire-leaf.  Botanically speaking, an entire leaf has a smooth edge, is not toothed.  This Clematis is not a vine.  It has stems of maybe 18 inches long that don't cling.  The stems are floppy & will cascade over a low wall, lie flat on the ground, or prop themselves against other plants.  Each stem bears several flowers.  The number of stems increase as the plant matures.  The usual flower color is blue, but 'Hanajima' is pink.  Flowers are simple & charming, each with 4 petals.  The plant is not drought tolerant, but doesn't need a lot of water.  Plant them among other perennials, but don't allow them to become shaded. Clematis integrifolia is native to Italy, the Balkans, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Siberia & Central Asia.

Erigeron glaucus

Erigeron glaucus is a very flowerful & easy plant to grow in dry sun.  It blooms continuously through the summer, with the largest number of flowers coming in June.  Bloom can start in April & end in October.  Bees love it.  The normal flower color is blue-lavender.  'Sea Breeze' has pink flowers & seems to be the form most commonly sold in Seattle.  The plant is low & spreading, not more than one foot high & up to 3 feet wide.  It looks nice cascading over rocks & walls.  It is drought tolerant, but can't do entirely without water during the summer.  Water regularly, but not heavily, or more than once a week.  The stems of this plant & sometimes also the leaves survive the winter.  Don't cut it back to the base, just remove the obviously dead parts, mostly the flower heads.  It is native to the California & Oregon coasts, where it grows on bluffs, sand dunes & beaches.

Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost'

Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost' is a very attractive perennial for shade.  The heart-shaped leaves are mostly a silvery-white, but with green veins.  It's eye-catching.  I think it's not gaudy, but probably too bright for some.  The small, bright-blue flowers come in May.  They are pretty, but bloom is usually not very dense.  The plant forms a mound about 2 feet wide fairly quickly, but does not seem to exceed that.  When in flower, it reaches 2 feet tall.  It disappears in winter.  Brunnera macrophylla is native to the Caucasus, Georgia & Turkey in forests & on grassy slopes.  The common name is Siberian Bugloss.  Brunnera macrophylla is better in part shade than deep shade.  It needs moderate water in summer & tolerates some wetness in winter.  Use it in a shaded perennial border, or between shrubs under trees.

Geranium phaeum

Geranium phaeum makes a great background plant & filler of space in lightly shaded areas.  It is fairly tolerant of dryness.  It's a pretty plant with a profusion of dark blue, purple or black flowers in April & May.  Black flowers suggest the common name Mourning Widow.  Geranium phaeum is taller than most  species.  It grows to a height of nearly 2 feet when in flower.  The flower spikes with seed pods are also attractive.  There is no need to cut them back after bloom has faded.  The leaves are pleasing in form.  Some have nice purple blotches, like the cultivar 'Samobor'.  Geranium phaeum is native to Europe in the Pyrenees & Alps in subalpine meadows & forests.  This is a good candidate for dry, light shade.  

Helenium autumnale

Helenium autumnale

Helenium autumnale is a flowering perennial plant for sun.  It generally blooms in September & October.  The common name is common sneezeweed & it is commonly available at most nurseries during the later part of summer.  It is also called Helen's flower.  The name genus name Helenium comes from the Greek word for another plant named for Helen of Troy & autumnale means 'pertaining to autumn'.  Helenium autumnale is native to North America where it is widespread across the US & Canada.  The only state where it has not been found to grow is New Hampshire.  I'm not sure they have looked hard enough in that state.  The flowers are yellow, orange, brick red, or a combination of those colors.  Helenium autumnale grows to about 3 feet tall & requires a moderate amount of water.  It also tolerates wetness.  It is not the most beautiful of plants, but the flowers are pretty & the colors bold.  It blooms at a time when there is little else.

Rosa rugosa

Rosa rugosa 'Hansa'

Rosa rugosa is one of the easiest, most drought tolerant, disease resistant & low-maintenance roses you can grow in Seattle.  It bears attractive flowers, foliage & fruits.  The fruits are large & resemble tomatoes.  Rosa rugosa doesn't often need pruning.  The canes grow to a height of about 3 to 4 feet covered in numerous spines, not the thorns typical of many roses.  Wear gloves when pruning.  The highly fragrant flowers may be single or double in the standard rose colors of red, pink, white & yellow.  Rosa rugosa 'Blanc Double de Coubert' is a popular white rose.  Rosa rugosa has many common names including sea tomato & beach rose.  The name I hear most frequently is rugosa rose.  Rugosa means wrinkled, or rugose.   Rosa rugosa is native to eastern Asia in China, Japan & Korea along the coast, often on sand dunes.  It is considered an invasive species along the coasts of northern Europe & New England.  But this shouldn't be a concern in an urban garden setting.  As with all roses, grow this plant in full sun, in well drained soil.  It blooms in July & August.

Acanthus hungaricus

Acanthus hungaricus

Acanthus hungaricus is a fairly common species of Acanthus in Seattle.  It is more tolerant of dryness than Acanthus mollis, which is much more common.  Acanthus hungaricus has beautiful, holly-like foliage that is not at all spiny.  Flowers come in midsummer, with purple bracts forming hoods over white corollas, which line the stems in many tiers to present quite an impressive display of flowers.  The stems may reach 4 feet in height, but more usually 3 feet.  This plant spreads continually, but not very aggressively & will need to be divided when it begins to crowd its neighbors.  Acanthus hungaricus is a perennial plant for full sun in well drained soil.  It is native to Europe in Romania, the Balkans & Greece.  The common name for Acanthus is bear's breeches, in this case Hungarian bear's breeches.  I hear it called Acanthus more often.

Euphorbia nicaeensis

Euphorbia nicaeensis


Euphorbia nicaeensis with Stachys byzantina (Lamb's Ears)

Euphorbia nicaeensis is a perennial plant, evergreen in Seattle, with new stems in spring reaching two feet in length & replacing the stems of the previous year, which wither during the summer, as in many other Euphorbia species.  It blooms in June.  The plant is easy to grow, requires very little water & good drainage.  It is a good candidate for a Mediterranean garden & really quite lovely.  Euphorbia nicaeensis is similar in size & shape to Euphorbia rigida, another worthwhile & more common species.  Euphorbia nicaeensis is a bit difficult to find.  I ordered mine from Joy Creek Nursery in Scappoose, Oregon. Euphorbia nicaeensis is native to Europe in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy & Croatia, as well as Turkey & the Caucasus.  Nicaea was an ancient city which now lies within the modern Turkish city of Iznik.  Nicaea Maritima was the ancient Roman name for the city of Nice, France.  The specific epithet 'nicaeensis' (of Nicaea) can refer to either city, both within the range of this plant.  It was likely observed by the participants of the Council of Nicaea in the year 325, which may be significant to those interested in early Christian history.

Allium karataviense

Allium karataviense is a bulb with a flower about the size of a baseball.  The usual color of the flower is a very pale pink.  Allium karataviense 'Ivory Queen' has white flowers.  There is also an uncommon form named 'Red Globe'.  Allium karataviense blooms in May, earlier than most Allium, which generally bloom in June.  The plant is not very tall, maybe 6 to 8 inches.  Each bulb produces one flower & just a few blue-green leaves.  Allium karataviense spreads slowly by the division of the bulbs & also by seed.  It takes some years for the seedlings to flower, but one flower can produce many seedlings.  A large group of flowers may arise in dry & sunny locations with good drainage in winter.  There is no need for summer water.  Allium karataviense grows naturally in the dry mountains of Central Asia.  It is sometimes called the Turkestan onion.  I think this is one of the more beautiful Allium, both in leaf & in flower.  Rainwater is often cupped at the base of the leaf pairs like sparkling jewels.

Dicentra formosa

Dicentra formosa (Native Bleeding Heart)

Dicentra formosa is a perennial forest plant native to the Northwest Coast, from the Pacific Ocean to the Cascade Mountains in Washington & Oregon.  It is one of our most beautiful native plants.  The flowers are usually a pale pink, but darker individuals, like the one shown in this photo, can be found. In time, one plant will spread widely by its creeping rootstock & also by seed.  Over several years it may fill up a shaded area.  Dicentra formosa does not grow well in full sun, but will take some partly sunny locations.  This is primarily a plant of the forest floor with moderate water needs in summer.  The leaves have a pleasing, fern-like appearance.  They die to the ground in winter.  Dicentra formosa pairs nicely with Oxalis oregana, a native forest groundcover.  Find them in the native plant section of most nurseries in the Seattle area.

Darlingtonia State Natural Site

Darlingtonia californica (Cobra Lily)

Darlingtonia State Natural Site in April 2014

Darlingtonia State Natural Site is a quick & interesting stop along the coast highway (US 101) in Florence, Oregon.  The site is a bog filled with a large number of cobra lily (Darlingtonia californica) a carnivorous plant.  An opening in the stalk of the plant leads insects to nectar inside. Once inside, the insect is trapped by downward-pointed hairs & falls into a pool of water at the bottom of the stalk.  It was once believed that this variety of pitcher plant did not produce any digestive enzymes & relied on symbiotic bacteria & protozoa to break down the captured insects into easily absorbed nutrients. Recent studies have indicated that Darlingtonia secretes at least one enzyme that digests captured prey. 

The cobra lily is unique among the three genera of American pitcher plants. It does not trap rainwater in its pitcher. Instead, it regulates the level of water inside physiologically by releasing or absorbing water into the trap from the roots. Cobra Lily is the sole member of the genus Darlingtonia in the family Sarraceniaceae (pitcher plants).  It is designated as uncommon due to its rarity in the field.  The plant was discovered in 1841 by the botanist William D. Brackenridge at Mount Shasta. It was named after the Philadelphia botanist William Darlington (1782–1863).   

Collecting Darlingtonia is illegal in Oregon.  It can be ordered online & grown outdoors in USDA zones 7-10.  The easiest way to do this is to put it in a pot of sphagnum moss & submerge the pot in a bowl of water or fountain.  Unglazed terracotta works well for this purpose.

Redwood in Lincoln Park

Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) in Lincoln Park October 2011

Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) in Lincoln Park October 2011

Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) in Lincoln Park October 2011

Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) in Lincoln Park October 2011

Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) in Lincoln Park October 2011

If you have been thinking about planting Sequoia sempervirens (Coast Redwood) in Seattle, take a look at Lincoln Park in West Seattle.  There are at least 2 groves at the north end of the upper area of the park.  Redwoods are fairly common in Seattle parks, usually as single specimen trees.  It is unusual to find them in private gardens.  Oddly enough, it is more common to find Sequoiadendron giganteum (Sierra Redwood), a tree that takes up much more horizontal space, in private gardens here.  There is a 3rd redwood less commonly found in Seattle, the deciduous Metasequoia glyptostroboides (Dawn Redwood).  Sequoia sempervirens can live more than 1,500 years & grow to a height of more than 300 hundred feet.  They are unlikely to grow to that size in a garden environment, even if left alone for 1,500 years.  But don't plant them too close to the house.  Young trees grow quickly, a big plus for gardeners in a hurry.  The Sunset Western Garden Book says that Coast Redwood can be planted 7 feet apart.  But I would give them more space, maybe 10 feet apart at a minimum. Sequoia sempervirens are native to northern California from the Oregon border to the San Francisco Bay Area.

Fatsia japonica

Fatsia japonica on First Hill in Seattle in September 2013

Fatsia japonica 'Variegata' in the Alphabet District in Portland

Fastia japonica at the Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland 

Fatisa Japonica in the Pearl District in Portland.  The 3 photos above were taken in October 2014.

Fatsia japonica is a big & beautiful evergreen shrub, with large & distinctive, palmate leaves.  Interesting flowers, carried on broad panicles, resemble an explosion of golf balls.  Fruits are black.  As you would expect, Fatsia japonica is native to Japan & also Korea.  It is often grown in pots placed near entries to buildings, or on shaded patios, where there is enough room.  The size of the plant is limited by the size of the pot, but expect it to reach at least 5 feet tall & almost as wide.  Fatsia japonica can reach 20 feet in the ground.  It is an excellent plant for a large shade garden, lovely against the bare trunks of tall trees.  Fatsia japonica comes in variegated forms such as Fatsia japonica 'Variegata' & Fatsia japonica 'Spider's Web'.  Too much sun will cause leaves to turn yellow.  Click here for more Japanese plants.

Erigeron speciosus

Erigeron speciosus 'Darkest of All' in the Ornamental Border at Bradner Gardens Park in June 2013

 
 Erigeron speciosus 'Prosperity' in the Cascadia Garden in June 2010
 

Erigeron glaucus in the Cascadia Garden in June 2012

Erigeron species at Frenchman Coulee near Vantage WA in May 2013 

Erigeron species at Crab Creek near Moses Lake WA in May 2013

This is a post about Erigeron speciosus & High Country Gardens.  Erigeron speciosus (Showy Fleabane) is a perennial with beautiful flowers, widespread in the western US, including Washington.  There are quite a number of cultivars & hybrids in various shades of blue, lavender & pink.  It grows to a height of about 30 inches.  It is a low maintenance & fairly drought tolerant plant.  While I'm at it, I'll also mention Erigeron glaucus & Erigeron in general. I think Erigeron glaucus is the most beautiful & useful species of the genus in Seattle.  It blooms for a very extended period from May through October & is highly drought tolerant.  The flowers are as large as Erigeron speciosus, but the plant is low & spreading.  The genus Erigeron has almost 400 species growing in a variety of conditions throughout the northern hemisphere.  Eastern Washington has a number of small species adapted to very dry conditions.  Two of them appear above.

In January of 2014, I received this message via email: I noticed a photo of Erigeron 'Darkest of All' on the blog The Ornamental Border at Bradner Gardens Park on July 6, 2013.  High Country Gardens is offering this plant for our Spring 2014 season and we are in need of a photo for our website.  We were wondering if you would allow us to use the photo.  If this is something you would  be willing to do we would be happy to send you a High Country Gardens gift certificate as a thank you.

I was happy to receive a gift certificate for $50, because I have high regard for High Country Gardens.  I ordered plants from them several times for the Cascadia Garden.  They were always in excellent condition.  High Country Gardens sells plants for the arid western US.  Many of their plants have limited use in Seattle.  But some are worth trying on dry sites, in pots filled partly with gravel, & under the overhangs on the south or west walls of buildings where they get a limited amount of rainfall.  Others, like Erigeron speciosus, grow well along the Pacific northwest coast.