This amazing verbena appeared as a seedling near our back deck; hence, the name. Our 2003 introduction, Verbena 'Decked Out', has sailed through our miserable winters in great shape and rewards us with a constant show of rich, fluorescent purple flowers all summer...a hummingbird treat. The non-aggressive habit makes it perfect for fun "plant marriages." Oh sorry, I forgot the courts ruled that those weren't legal, but they can still cohabitate in all states except South Carolina.

Agave lophantha 'Multigreen', a 2019 Plant Delights/JLBG introduction, is an unusual mutation of the Mexican century plant, Agave lophantha 'Splendida', that we found on our plant here at the nursery. The unique leaves on the 11" tall x 18" wide rosettes are vertically striped with three unique shades of green, from black-green to pea soup. In actuality, the wide outside border of dark green on Agave 'Splendida' has been replaced by a lighter green with consistent misty flecks...quite unusual and beautiful.

This 2011 Plant Delights/JLBG introduction is a solid gold leaf sport from Alan Galloway's Colocasia 'Limeade'. Although similar to Colocasia 'Elena' in color, Colocasia 'Lemonade' has proven to be far superior in our winter hardiness trials. Despite our record-setting hot summers, the massive 7' clumps of Colocasia 'Lemonade' looked great in full sun...as long as the soil remained moist.

(aka: Vernonia angustifolia A2GA-003B) In 1998, we found this wonderful selection of the Southeast native (NC to Mississippi), Vernonia angustifolia, growing on a grit outcrop in Turner Co., Georgia. Despite being discovered and named by the famed plant explorer, Andre Michaux, more than 200 years ago, narrow-leaf ironweed is surprisingly absent in horticulture. The robust 4' tall stalks of narrow, green amsonia-like leaves are topped, starting in July (NC), with 8" wide, branched, airy flower heads of dark purple flowers...an attractive target for hummingbirds. This 2006 Plant Delights/JLBG introduction holds its large flower heads upright better than any of the others we have trialed.

Sauromatum horsfieldii 'Lancelot' is a very special form of the Asian aroid, discovered by world renowned aroid researcher Alan Galloway in Loei Province, Thailand, where it grew on limestone rocks near the Laos border. The horse-shoe arranged leaflets look like an arisaema, but the flower, which emerges from ground level, resembles an arum...very odd! Sauromatum horsfieldii 'Lancelot' forms a much larger clump than the more typical forms, quickly reaching 1' tall x 1' wide. We think you'll really enjoy this in the woodland garden.

Ligularia 'Hey, Mr. Wilson' is a 2021 Plant Delights/JLBG introduction of a plant that really excites us, since we have quite a bit of trouble growing most ligularias, due to our heat and humidity. This compact Ligularia japonica hybrid comes to us from Tennessee plantsman, Robert Wilson. In our garden, Ligularia 'Hey, Mr. Wilson' forms a compact, 30" tall bold-textured clump of deeply cut, glossy green foliage. In early June (NC) 3' tall spikes are topped with clusters of 3.5" wide golden-orange daisies. Moist-to-average garden soils and light shade, to a few hours of morning sun, are best.

Hemerocallis altissima is a little-known daylily species that hails from southwest China near the famed Purple Mountain. From June through August, this deciduous nocturnal daylily produces 2' tall grass-like foliage topped with 5.5' tall flower spikes whose fragrant, pure yellow flowers open in the evening and remain open until the following morning. Unfortunately, most plants sold as Hemerocallis altissima are actually Hemerocallis 'Autumn Minaret' (brown blush on the inside petals)...a wonderful, but early Hemerocallis altissima hybrid from the late Dr. Stout. We obtained this wild-collected Hemerocallis altissima clone many years ago from the New York Botanical Garden and have added a cultivar name to distinguish it from the species imposters. Maintenance: Hemerocallis, daylilies, are quite low maintenance; yet they benefit from a few properly timed tidying-ups that are simple and quickly accomplished. It helps to understand their normal life cycle: New daylily foliage is produced after winter gives way to spring. It is at this time quite clean and fresh and lovely. Yet it often becomes shabby by bloom time, it has worked so hard to produce all of its flowers. As the floral display is winding down the plant starts to put up a whole new flush of foliage. The flawless fresh new foliage might go unnoticed by the unobservant gardener but it is produced nevertheless. If at this point the whole plant is cut back hard, either to the ground or to several inches tall, not only will all of the spent flower stalks be removed but so too spring's now shabby foliage. What one is left with is clean foliage for the remainder of the growing season. And the process of cutting it back takes only a few minutes at most per plant. Another time to cut daylily foliage down is after frost has killed the foliage. It has often been observed that this foliage will harbor aphids over winter if not removed. In mild-winter areas the daylilies described as evergreen might produce foliage during every mild spell. One needs to periodically check for aphids. Growing Conditions: Hemerocallis, Daylilies, are almost fool proof. They will thrive with full sun all day long yet still bloom most satisfactorily with fewer hours provided they have at least 6 hours of full sun. They tolerate a wide range of soil types and conditions including damp soil and briefly soggy soil. They will survive dry spells though they will not perform in chronically dry sites. Garden Value: The floral display of Hemerocallis is big and bold and bright. Individual cultivars are often in bloom for many weeks or even months. Cultivars are available from spring blooming ones to ones that bloom into late summer and even early fall. The peak bloom season is summer. Selecting cultivars that bloom at various times one can have daylilies in bloom for 5 to 6 months of the year. Night blooming daylilies such as this one add excitement to the night garden. Plant where they can be enjoyed in the evening such as a patio. Natural Impact: Daylily flowers are occasionally visited by pollinators. The wild species of daylilies, some of which are the parents of the garden hybrids, are more likely to be utilized by pollinators. Nomenclature: The name Hemerocallis comes from the Greek hemera, “day" and kallos, “beauty" for though they produce a long succession of flowers, each individual flower lasts only one day.

Several years ago, we received plants from India as Colocasia antiquorum. One exceptional clone was subsequently christened Colocasia 'Coal Miner' and became a 2007 Plant Delights/JLBG introduction. In appearance, Colocasia 'Coal Miner' looks like a larger version of Colocasia 'Illustris' except for emerging 2 months earlier (late March in NC), and not spreading underground as vigorously as Colocasia 'Illustris'. The black leaf pattern is similar to Colocasia 'Illustris', but the background leaf color is quite different (dark olive vs. medium green) and the emerging new leaves have a stunning velvet patina. For us, Colocasia 'Coal Miner' tops out at 54" tall, while Colocasia 'Illustris' only reaches 40". I think you will agree that Colocasia 'Coal Miner' is worth excavating a new hole.

Amorphophallus konjac 'Nightstick' is a 1994 Plant Delights/JLBG introduction of a special black-stalked selection that we acquired in 1992 from aroid collector Tom McLamb, and subsequently named. It's been decades since we've had enough to share, so we're delighted to have our stock levels built back up. The 3' tall, jet black stem, which emerges in mid-June, is a thing of beauty, topped with the extremely dark green palm-like leaf. When the tuber develops enough food reserves, you'll enjoy a flower stalk instead of a leaf stalk, occurring usually in early May (NC).

This amazing Chinese native (from several provinces, including Sichuan) has been cultivated in Japan and England for nearly 300 years. This particular clone is quite sterile, indicating either the need for a mate or the fact that it has already had too many. Lychnis coronata 'Orange Sherbet' makes a tidy 2' tall x 3' wide mound of light green foliage which is topped, starting in late May (NC), with 1", or wider, light orange flowers that continue through most of the summer. This is a truly superb deer-resistant specimen for a part sun spot in the garden...very tolerant of a variety of soil types, but propagation will drive you nearly insane...we're proof!

(aka: Lespedeza thunbergii 'Variegata') We are always on the lookout for plants whose foliage extends the season of interest well beyond their flowering season, and one such plant is Lespedeza thunbergii 'Spilt Milk'. This Japanese selection has foliage that is heavily and consistently speckled with large, creamy, irregular flecks. The attractive leaves are held along the arching stems, tinged dark purple as they grow. The 6' tall x 8' wide deciduous clumps are topped in midsummer and again in late September with terminal clusters of lavender flowers...a superb choice!

Asarum 'Saddleback' is our first named selection of the in situ threatened and vulnerable Asarum kurosawae. Introduced by Plant Delights/JLBG in 2019, this little-known species has proven to be one of the easiest wild gingers to grow in our garden, and certainly one of the most elegant. For us, Asarum kurosawae 'Saddleback' has formed a dense 6" tall x 18" wide specimen, composed of evergreen heart-shaped leaves with an irregular green border and a green central streak with prominent silver markings between the green. In late January (NC), the dense clusters of dusty purple flowers can be found just beneath the foliage.

If you're thinking...oh, another DYC (damn yellow composite)...you couldn't be more wrong. This splendid chocolate flower species can be found growing in sandy soils, open fields, and along forest edges from NC west to east central Texas, but is virtually unknown by the horticultural world. Berlandiera 'Chocoholic' is our 2019 introduction of a seed strain from Lee Co. Texas that makes a tight clump of sturdy 3' tall upright, light green stems adorned with widely spaced, 3" long, wavy, light green leaves. The stems are topped from May-September with clusters of 2" yellow daisies that emit a delicious fragrance of chocolate...especially in the morning. Berlandiera pumila 'Chocoholic' has proven to be the easiest of the chocolate flower selections to grow in our trials.

We've grown quite a few selections of our native Phlox stolonifera, but none can compare with the vigor and foliage density of this selection we named Phlox 'Weesie Smith'. Our clump has spread to 8' in 3 years, forming a ground-hugging mat of thin, surface-lying stems clothed in small, spoon-like leaves. The mats are topped, starting in early April, with 10" spikes of hummingbird-friendly, lavender-pink flowers...absolutely superb. This phlox comes from the garden of Alabama's first lady of wildflowers, the late Weesie Smith, thanks to her friend and wildflower compatriot, Jan Midgley.

Illicium 'Florida Sunshine' is a 2007 Plant Delights/JLBG introduction, whose life started when we brought back three golden seedlings of the rare Florida endemic Illicium parviflorum from our 2000 visit to Florida plantsman Charles Webb. After several years of evaluation, we selected one plant for introduction as Illicium 'Florida Sunshine'. Our original specimen has become a medium-sized shrub to 8' tall x 8' wide of anise-fragranced, chartreuse gold foliage during the spring and summer. As the weather cools in fall, the leaf color brightens to screaming yellow, then becomes a near parchment color by midwinter. During the same time, the upper stems take on a brilliant red cast, contrasting vividly with the leaves. In sun, the winter foliage will scorch, so we recommend this be grown in light shade...a stunning beacon in the winter garden. Maintenance: Illicium 'Florida Sunshine' is essentially a maintenance free shrub, if it's planted in the proper location. Growing Conditions: Illicium 'Florida Sunshine' is native in deep to light shade in the wild, but in gardens, it is best in light shade to 6-8 hours of full sun, where it color up the best and keeps the tightest shape, and should never need to be pruned. The more shade, the looser the habit. Garden Value: The garden value of Florida Sunshine anise is obvious, since it beams like a bright sun in the garden, especially in the fall/winter, when the foliage is brightest. The anise-scented foliage is another great garden feature, so be sure to plant it where it can be brushed against. Natural Impacts: Illicium parviflorum is pollinated by a wide range of small native flies.

xMangave 'Arctic Fox' is a 2019 Plant Delights/JLBG exclusive introduction of a splendid Hans Hansen creation, that combines vigor, beauty, and durability. Sadly, it can't be successfully reproduced in tissue culture due to the chimeral nature of the variegation, so the supply will be limited to divisions. xMangave 'Arctic Fox' is a 2' tall x 3' wide sport of xMangave 'Jaguar', complete with olive green foliage, large purple spots, plus the addition of a finger-wide creamy white streak down the center of each leaf...seriously hot! At temperatures above the mid-20s F, the foliage remains evergreen.

Several years ago, we received a shipment of Colocasia from India of which most were inferior to plants we already grew. After several years of trials, one plant stood out as an exceptional groundcover elephant ear. Colocasia 'Blackwater', our 2007 Plant Delights/JLBG introduction, is similar to Colocasia 'Fontanesii' with glossy, jet black stems rising to 6' tall. The stems are topped with glossy, dark olive-green leaves that are much darker and narrower, with a longer leaf tip than Colocasia 'Fontanesii'. It spreads rapidly via black snake-like rhizomes that lay on top of the ground. When it's happy, in rich, moist compost, it can form a 12' wide, dense patch in 3 years, so site appropriately.

Agave titanota 'Sunburst' is an amazing sport that occurred at Plant Delights Nursery on Agave titanota 'Solar Eclipse'. In early spring, the entire central core of Agave titanota 'Sunburst' turns bright creamy gold. For us the color holds well until late summer, when it eventually fades to all green. In areas without frost, or if you have a large enough pot, expect an 18" tall x 30" wide specimen.

In 2011, while Israeli nurseryman Moti Kopilovitch was visiting and discussing our acanthus selections, we explained that most of the Acanthus mollis we tried did not survive our hot, humid summers. Moti was kind enough to share seed of a form of bear's breech that thrives in Israel's hot climate (Zone 10-11), and it became a 2012 Plant Delights/JLBG introduction. Acanthus mollis makes a 2' tall x 3' wide clump of broad, glossy-green, deeply indented leaves which go into a midsummer lull but kick back into high gear with the return of cooler nights. The clumps are topped with 4' tall spikes of spiny purple and white flowers. Bear's breech is propagated from root cuttings, so if you dig around a mature acanthus, you will create cuttings. Acanthus mollis was named as one of the top 200 plants of the last 200 years by the Royal Horticultural Society...quite an honor. Maintenance: Acanthus require little in the way of maintenance. Remove spent flower stalks when they are no longer attractive, cutting them to the ground. Remove unattractive foliage as necessary. The foliage is attractive most of the year especially if there is adequate moisture in summer. It is very drought tolerant but will deal with drought in summer by going dormant, returning in fall as soil moisture increases. So, irrigation in summer time dry spells will keep it in growth. Some species will continue to grow into late fall or winter if the weather remains mild, eventually being cut back by cold. The plants are not harmed by this enforced rest. They will return in spring unfazed. It is best to choose a permanent location when planting. They tolerate transplanting but every piece of root left behind will grow a new plant. Indeed root-cuttings is a standard means of propagating. Once planted, it can be left alone to get better with each passing year. Growing Conditions: Part day sun to very bright shade is best for Acanthus mollis, Acanthus spinossus, and similar Acanthus with lush soft leaves. Though drought tolerant, they will remain attractive all summer if not drought stressed, so avoid excessively dry sites, and irrigate if possible during dry spells. Remember that shade gardens are often dry due to the trees that provide the shade if the trees are ones that are very competitive in their water use. Natural Impact: The floral display of bear's breech is very dramatic. Flower spikes can be 5 to 6' tall depending on the particular species and are strongly vertical and persist for a couple of months. The effect is much like strictly upright spikes of the common foxglove, Digitalis purpurea. It would be worth growing even without its floral display because its handsome foliage is big, bold and lush and a glossy mid green and is an attractive addition to a garden.

Agave parviflora 'Pin Up Girl' is a fascinating sport of Agave parviflora 'Pinpoint'. In our new 2021 Plant Delights/JLBG introduction, one layer of color has been stripped from the leaf, causing the white central pattern to brighten to a clean white instead of the dusty white of its parent. We expect others have also noticed this odd, but stunningly beautiful behavior and possibly have similar sports. Agave parviflora 'Pin Up Girl' is a small plant perfect for rock crevices in a mild climate and makes a superb container specimen in cooler winter regions.

(aka: Zephyranthes PDN10-01) This stunning 2014 Plant Delights/JLBG rain lily introduction started its life as a seedling of Zephyranthes 'Bangkok Yellow', which is a seedling of Zephyranthes candida and most likely Zephyranthes citrina. Our Zephyranthes 'Summer Snow' out-flowers all the other rain lilies in our trials, with narrow, rounded foliage like Zephyranthes candida, but with larger cupped flowers that emerge a creamy ivory. The 15" tall x 1' wide thick clumps of glossy green foliage are topped from midsummer until frost with a massive floral show of creamy cups after each rain and with sporadic flowering even in drier periods. We think you'll really enjoy this summer snow in your garden.

Despite being endemic to only a small region of beech forests and floodplains on both the Louisiana and Mississippi sides of the Mississippi River, Trillium foetidissimum is just as hardy in Minnesota. This amazing sessile trillium sprouts a 10" stalk in early spring topped with three olive-green leaves dramatically highlighted with dark blotches. Atop the leaves are the narrow, maroon-red petals. Trillium foetidissimum is extremely easy to grow in a wide range of garden conditions. Our offering represents 5-year-old flowering-sized plants grown from seed here at PDN. The original parent clone for this offering was collected outside Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

When we acquired this wild collected daylily from China as Hemerocallis multiflora, we didn't know what to expect, but were rewarded with an amazing daylily. In midsummer, this daylily produces 5' tall flower spikes that are well-branched toward the tip and topped with large, golden-yellow, sweetly-fragrant flowers that open in the afternoon to attract hummingbirds. The long bloom time, sturdy stems and great branching make this a superb garden specimen, which turned out to be a superb giant form of the edible Hemerocallis citrina, hence the name commemorating another well-branched giant from China. Maintenance: Hemerocallis, daylilies, are quite low maintenance; yet they benefit from a few properly timed tidying-ups that are simple and quickly accomplished. It helps to understand their normal life cycle: New daylily foliage is produced after winter gives way to spring. It is at this time quite clean and fresh and lovely. Yet it often becomes shabby by bloom time, it has worked so hard to produce all of its flowers. As the floral display is winding down the plant starts to put up a whole new flush of foliage. The flawless fresh new foliage might go unnoticed by the unobservant gardener but it is produced nevertheless. If at this point the whole plant is cut back hard, either to the ground or to several inches tall, not only will all of the spent flower stalks be removed but so too spring's now shabby foliage. What one is left with is clean foliage for the remainder of the growing season. And the process of cutting it back takes only a few minutes at most per plant. Another time to cut daylily foliage down is after frost has killed the foliage. It has often been observed that this foliage will harbor aphids over winter if not removed. In mild-winter areas the daylilies described as evergreen might produce foliage during every mild spell. One needs to periodically check for aphids. Growing Conditions: Hemerocallis, Daylilies, are almost fool proof. They will thrive with full sun all day long yet still bloom most satisfactorily with fewer hours provided they have at least 6 hours of full sun. They tolerate a wide range of soil types and conditions including damp soil and briefly soggy soil. They will survive dry spells though they will not perform in chronically dry sites. Garden Value: The floral display of Hemerocallis is big and bold and bright. Individual cultivars are often in bloom for many weeks or even months. Cultivars are available from spring blooming ones to ones that bloom into late summer and even early fall. The peak bloom season is summer. Selecting cultivars that bloom at various times one can have daylilies in bloom for 5 to 6 months of the year. Night blooming daylilies such as this one add excitement to the night garden. Plant where they can be enjoyed in the evening such as a patio. Natural Impact: Daylily flowers are occasionally visited by pollinators. The wild species of daylilies, some of which are the parents of the garden hybrids, are more likely to be utilized by pollinators. Nomenclature: The name Hemerocallis comes from the Greek hemera, “day" and kallos, “beauty" for though they produce a long succession of flowers, each individual flower lasts only one day.

Monarda luteola 'Coconut Lime' is a 2023 Plant Delights/JLBG introduction of our selection of the virtually unknown and very rare (G2 rank) North American native yellow-flowered bee balm. Monarda luteola, which hails from a tiny region known as the Weches Geologic Formation on the Texas/Arkansas border, was only recognized as a new species in 2011. The 30" tall mildew-resistant clump of lemon-scented foliage, selected from the Arkansas genetics, expands in good soil to make a 5' wide patch in a single season. Although Monarda luteola doesn't run like the more aggressive species, it is not a plant for a small garden of intricate plant treasures. For us, Monarda luteola 'Coconut Lime' starts flowering in mid-May with blush yellow flowers that are truly a magnet for bumblebees.

(aka: Zephyranthes PDN10-01) This stunning 2014 Plant Delights/JLBG rain lily introduction started its life as a seedling of Zephyranthes 'Bangkok Yellow', which is a seedling of Zephyranthes candida and most likely Zephyranthes citrina. Our Zephyranthes 'Summer Snow' out-flowers all the other rain lilies in our trials, with narrow, rounded foliage like Zephyranthes candida, but with larger cupped flowers that emerge a creamy ivory. The 15" tall x 1' wide thick clumps of glossy green foliage are topped from midsummer until frost with a massive floral show of creamy cups after each rain and with sporadic flowering even in drier periods. We think you'll really enjoy this summer snow in your garden.

Agave parryi 'Border Guard' is a 2021 Plant Delights/JLBG introduction of a muted lime green-edged sport of Agave parryi 'J.C. Raulston' that we discovered. Agave parryi 'Border Guard' should mature at 2' tall x 3' wide, but that will take many years. Perfect drainage is essential for winter hardiness outdoors in the ground.

Hibiscus 'Pink Teacups', a 2019 Plant Delights/JLBG introduction is one of those lovely surprises that becomes a game-changing perennial. In 2014, we visited plantsman Rick Lewandowski at Shangri La Botanical Gardens in southeast Texas. Rick was kind enough to share seed from a patch of dormant hibiscus, whose foliage appeared to be a hybrid swarm of Hibiscus coccineus and Hibiscus laevis. The gem of the resultant seed crop was an 8' tall specimen with see-through branches, clothed with small 3-5 lobed cannabis-like foliage, and topped all summer with 3.5" bright pink flowers that face completely upright, not sideways or angled, but upright. We've never seen this trait on any hardy hibiscus...truly fascinating. Maintenance: Hibiscus 'Pink Teacups' is a very low maintenance perennial, provided they are growing in the proper conditions. When the plants go dormant in winter, the stalks remain upright and sturdy. We prefer to leave them to give birds a place to perch. The structure also helps the garden remain much more interesting in winter than a flat carpet of brown mulch. Hibiscus sawfly is the #1 pest of most hibiscus, causing skeletonized leaves. These can be treated with a beneficial bacteria product like Dipel, which contains BT bacillus. Growing Conditions: Hibiscus like 'Pink Teacups' grow naturally in standing shallow water, although they are quite drought tolerant for short period. The drier the soil, the more the plants will be stressed, which increases the severity of insect damage. Garden Value: Perennial hardy hibiscus add an upright garden form to the garden, as well as summer flowering when many spring perennials have finished flowering or gone dormant. Also, there are few plants with such a floral show that tolerates wet soil. Natural Impacts: Bees are the primarily pollinators of all of the herbaceous, hardy hibiscus.

As we continue featuring some of our new plant introductions that will be in our 2015 catalog, we’d like to introduce you to Polygonatum odoratum ‘Goldilocks’…our new Solomon’s Seal, which started life here as a seedling well over a decade earlier. Polygonatum ‘Goldilocks’ is the only variegated Solomon’s seal that also produces fruit, which in […]

(aka: Dysosma x boreiforme) Podophyllum x boreiforme 'Standing Tall' is our 2021 Plant Delights/JLBG introduction of our 2012 cross of Podophyllum boreale (aka: versipelle ssp. boreale) and Podophyllum difforme. Podophyllum 'Standing Tall' makes a very tall plant to 3.5', composed of thick stems bearing massive 25" wide, jagged cut green leaves. Starting in early spring and continuing sporadically through summer, the flower clusters hang just beneath the leaves. Each cluster of over two dozen round red flowers is quite spectacular, starting for us in March, and continuing through September.

(aka: Cacalia atriplicifolia) Arnoglossum atriplicifolium 'Elmore Giant' is a 2021 Plant Delights/JLBG introduction of a giant form of the little-known US (Wisconsin south to Florida) native. Our offering is a 2013 discovery by our taxonomist, Zac Hill in Alabama's Elmore County. The hollow stems, adorned with widely-spaced glaucous maple-shaped leaves, shoot upward in spring at a rate that would make Jack-in-the-beanstalk proud, topping out, including the terminal corymbs of small white flowers in late July at a whopping 9' tall. In the wild 3-6' in height is more typical. Arnoglossum makes a large patch to 5' wide, so allow enough room when you site it in the garden.

Agave 'Shark Bite' is a 2016 Plant Delights/JLBG introduction of a Hans Hansen creation from the popular Agave 'Sharkskin Shoes' (Agave nickelsiae x asperrima). Each 18" tall x 30" wide, slowly offsetting rosette of Agave 'Shark Bite' is composed of 18" long, thick, dark gray-green leaves, each decorated with a variable 1/2 to 3/4" chartreuse margin. This is a superb selection that, like good wine, gets better with age.

Hosta 'A Scape Plan', a 2020 Plant Delights/JLBG introduction, is our 2nd hosta release with branched flower scapes. The 15" tall x 3' wide clump is composed of very ruffled powder blue leaves in spring, which eventually age to green. The clumps are topped, starting for us in mid-August, with arching spikes, each terminating in a compact 4-way densely-branched flower head. Parents of this 2010 cross include Hosta yingeri, 'Sun Power', 'Elvis Lives', and Hosta 'Branching Out'. We hope you enjoy this as much as we do.

We hope you've got your beanstalk planted 'cause 'Jack's Giant' is here. We received our original plant from Jack de Vroomen of Marlboro Bulb Company, who brought this to us from Costa Rica. The tuber was much larger and shaped differently from other Colocasia esculenta forms we had grown, although the medium green leaves are similar. For us, the plants easily reached 7' tall, even in a fairly dry area of the garden. We are pretty sure this is a triploid form, which should increase winter hardiness. Remember, rich organic soils that are moist during the growing season result in the best growth. Despite the lack of calories, we hope you'll enjoy supersizing your garden!

(aka: Hosta PDN 07-0655) Hosta 'Sun Mouse' is a 2016 Plant Delights Nursery introduction...a complex, multi-generational cross involving the popular Hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears', in our quest for a gold-leaved hosta of similar stature. Hosta 'Sun Mouse' shows great vigor and forms a 6" tall x 18" wide clump of thick, slightly wavy, golden foliage. Each 3" long x 2" wide leaf emerges a nice gold and holds the color well. The clumps are topped with attractive heads of medium lavender flowers that are held just above the foliage in early June (NC). Hosta 'Sun Mouse' is a perfect gem to add to the miniature garden.

Asarum forbesii 'Venus' is our second introduction of the amazing, but sadly, little-known Chinese wild ginger, that's hopelessly misidentified in the trade. Asarum forbesii 'Venus' makes a slowly-spreading deciduous groundcover that's both dense and tough as nails in the woodland garden. Rich soils, light shade, and average moisture grow the best wild gingers. The foliage of Asarum 'Venus' is dark green with abundant lighter green randomly un-random blotches. The triangular-shaped foliage is also larger than our earlier introduction Asarum 'Mercury'. If you peek below its skirt of foliage from April through May, you see an amazing number of bronze, three-petaled flowers...shhh, we won't tell if you won't.

In 2020, Plant Delights/JLBG introduced a 2003 Hans Hansen collection of Epimedium pubescens from Guangyuan at 4,500' elevation in Sichuan Province, China. This shorter than typical form produces a 10" tall x 3' wide patch, whose evergreen foliage remains looking great through the winter. The new growth which emerges alongside the flowers in mid-March (NC) is mottled reddish bronze, but is nearly obscured by the masses of small white flowers. You'll love this amazing burst of spring in your woodland garden.

(aka: Lycoris Adams #45) Lycoris 'Appleblossom' is a 2023 Plant Delights/JLBG introduction of a rare and truly unique Phil Adams hybrid, a menage-a-trois cross of Lycoris radiata var. pumila x Lycoris sprengeri 'Haywardii' x Lycoris chinensis 'Sperryi'. The 17" bronze stalks emerge for us in early September, topped with small frilly white flowers. Almost immediately, the exserted anthers turn salmony pink, followed by the petals, so the overall effect is white with a strong pink overlay. Lycoris 'Appleblossom' has proven to be an excellent flowering clone in our trials. The foliage emerges for us in mid-October.

(aka: Trillium x ludoviciatum A2LA-010) This offering of Trillium x ludoviciatum (Trillium ludovicianum x Trillium cuneatum) represents nursery grown, flowering-sized seedlings from our original collection in Rankin County, Mississippi, where we found the natural hybrids growing. The leaves are nicely patterned, olive and silver, and topped with flowers whose petals range from narrow like Trillium ludovicianum to wide at the tips like Trillium cuneatum...usually purple, but often partially green.

Hosta 'Gotta Little Blues' is the big brother seedling to our other 2020 Plant Delights/JLBG introduction, Hosta 'Azure Gem'. Emerging from our breeding work to develop dwarf Hosta sieboldiana-like hostas that thrive in summer heat and humidity, Hosta 'Gotta Little Blues' forms a 10" tall x 30" wide, fast-multiplying clump of 5" long x 4" wide, corrugated, powder-blue leaves.

(aka: Hippeastrum advenum, Zephyranthes bifida) Rhodophiala bifida 'Carmencita' is a 2017 Plant Delights Nursery introduction of a clonal seedling selection we made that's the first to flower for us each year, starting here in early August...nearly a month before the commonly grown Rhodophiala 'Hill Country Red'. Each of the 1' tall stalks are topped with clusters of 4 to 7 cherry-red (Pantone PMS 214) flowers, with a central white stripe toward the throat. Rhodophiala 'Carmencita' is a fast offsetting, good flowering clone that can be used to dramatically extend the oxblood flowering season. Moist or dry soils have both been productive in our trials.