Acanthus mollis ‘Tasmanian Angel’.   Tasmanian Angel Bear’s Britches

Plant this in the shade or partial shade garden, then sit back and enjoy it through the season! An outstanding plant with deeply-serrated, mottled foliage so stunning it can stand by itself; who needs flowers?  Long-lasting flowers in shades of pink, orchid and white, atop 4’ stalks are a bonus.  Plant it in deep, fertile, moist, well-drained soil.

Acer japonicum ‘Full Moon’.   Full Moon Japanese Maple

A choice Japanese Maple with open upright form.  Grows to 20’ in light shade with good friable soil.  In Fall the foliage is a lovely yellow with tints of red.  Beautiful.

Acer leucoderme.   Chalk Maple

Taking its common name from the white bark that sometimes occurs on the trunk of the mature tree, this is an exceptionally attractive small tree to 20’.  It appreciates some afternoon shade; typical reddish maple seeds are showy against the light green leaves and; the fall the foliage turns a luminous yellow color.  Slow growing and perfect in a patio area.

Acer palmatum ‘Butterfly’.   Butterfly Japanese Maple

Probably the most popular of the variegated Japanese Maples in the South, this selection has bluish-green foliage with white edging.  It is slow-growing and will probably reach 8’ in ten years.  Because of the white variegation, the leaves can scorch in hot afternoon sun, so a shady location is preferable.

Agapanthus africanus ‘Blue Heaven’.   Blue Heaven Lily-of-the-Nile

The “truest-bluest” of the Agapanthus, this selection is a heavy bloomer growing to 3’ in full sun and a well-drained location.

Agapanthus africanus ‘White Heaven’.   White Heaven Lily-of-the-Nile. 

Really HUGE, pure white flower heads, 8 – 10” across, atop 30” stalks on this outstanding perennial that is close to evergreen in our mild climate.  Probably the largest flower head of all the Agapanthus.  Plant in full to partial sun in fertile, well-drained soil.

Agave parryi.   Hardy Century Plant

BOLD and architectural are the adjectives to describe this Mexican desert plant.  It works for us in full sun with well-drained soil or would make a splendid pot plant.  The blue colored rosette will produce a plump flower spike up to 15” tall.  Be the talk of your neighborhood, but handle carefully!

Alocasia tigrina.   Superba Alocasia

A striking and handsome addition to the shade garden with 24”-long leaves.  Slender and upright, it can grow to 6’ but is tender in the Mobile area so must be protected from Winter freeze. The plant is named for its petioles, striped with dark markings. 

Ananas lucidus.   Smooth Pineapple

Be a “locavore” (one who eats locally-grown food) and grow your own pineapple.  It performs best in pot culture, in light, high shade and little water.

Aspidistra fasciaria ‘Jade Ribbons’.   Jade Ribbons Cast Iron Plant

It looks like a daylily but, in fact, is a highly-prized form of the Cast Iron Plant.  The long, narrow leaves add an unusual texture to the shade garden.

Bauhinia tomentosa.   Yellow Orchid Tree/Yellow Bauhinia

An unusual offering, this Bauhinia has the typical two-lobed leaves and golden yellow bell-like flowers accented at the center with a purple blotch.  The flowers morph to a purple color the second day and then produce a velvety seed pod that gives the plant its specie name.  From Africa, it requires sun and good drainage, and a winter mulch to protect the roots.  The plant can become leggy so needs pruning to give it an attractive shape.  Butterflies and bees are regular visitors.

Bletilla.   Ground Orchid

B. ochracea.   Yellow

B. striata.   White

B. striata.   Purple

The Ground Orchids are a delightful detail addition to Gulf Coast light shade gardens.  Easy to grow in rich organic soil, they are hardy with a Winter mulch.  We offer them in three different colors plus one with variegated foliage.  Take your pick!

Callicarpa dichotoma ‘Splashy’.   Variegated Beautyberry

What a combination! Both vivid white variegation on the foliage and purple berries in the Fall make this deciduous, arching shrub a delightful addition to the full sun or partial shade garden. Grows to 5’.

Calycanthus chinensis.   Chinese Sweetshrub

A deciduous shrub to 9’ with unscented 4” saucer-like flowers that have white petals turning pink to cream and is a splendid addition to the woodland garden. It prefers filtered light and humus-rich soil.

Calycanthus floridus.   ‘Michael Lindsay’.   Michael Lindsay Sweetshrub

A compact form of the species with typical blooms in the Spring and intense fragrance. Excellent foliage; good in filtered light.  Under ideal conditions it can colonize, developing into a stunning part of the garden.

Calycanthus ‘Hartlage Wine’.    Hartlage Wine Sweetshrub

RARE!  A cross with our native Calycanthus floridus and the Asian Calycanthus sinensis, produced an outstanding maroon flower on this deciduous 8’ x 8’ shrub.  Planted in light shade in rich, moist, well-drained soil, it will reward for years to come. It is a favorite of the great plantsman Dan Hinckley.

Cephalotaxus fortunei.   Chinese Plum Yew

Longer, softer needles distinguish this slow-growing Plum Yew from the Japanese variety.  It is a spectacular evergreen shrub or tree, often multi-stemmed, to 20’ and thrives in both full sun or shade, its primary requirement being good drainage.  Stunning used as a specimen plant.

Cephalotaxus harringtonia. 

C. h. ‘Duke Gardens’.    Duke Gardens Plum Yew Fastigate (Upright) Form

A splendid evergreen to 10’ by 6’ with upright rounded columnar form and dark green-black foliage; a wonderful background for colorful plantings.  On mature shrubs, attractive exfoliating gray bark peels off in strips.  It will tolerate some shade and, once established, requires only average moisture.

C. h. var. drupacea.   Plum Yew Spreading Form

Identical to the above, but a gracefully spreading form 3’ by 4’.

And the deer do not like either one of these!

Cercis reniformis ‘Oklahoma’.   Oklahoma Redbud

Flowers on this 15’ tree come on in the Spring right after the Flowering Cherry, a luscious red-blue color, the strongest of all the Redbuds.  The heart-shaped foliage appears after it flowers and is glossy, a definite attribute after the flowers have faded.  It requires excellent drainage and on the Gulf Coast it does best with some afternoon shade.

Cladastris kentukea.   American Yellowwood

Planted in sun and in a well-drained location, the deciduous American Yellowwood will mature at about 40’ x 40’.  In the Spring it produces long panicles of white flowers.  Uncommon in this area, we are pushing the edge of its growing zone.

Clematis ‘Josephine’.   Josephine Clematis

All clematis prefer alkaline soil, cool roots and a well-drained location.  This selection is in pruning group two and will grow to 8’.  It is a lovely lilac color with a darker bar on its outer petals and a lighter bar on the inner ruff.  Give it some afternoon shade. 

Clematis ‘Duchess of Albany’.   Duchess of Albany Clematis

Plant this selection where it can be viewed up close as it is one of the crosses with C. texensis so is a miniature tulip-shaped rosy-red bloom marked with darker bars, blooming from mid-summer to frost.  It is noted for heat-tolerance and can reach its maximum of 10’ in one growing season.  All texensis hybrids produce flowers on new growth so should be heavily pruned in January or February.

Clematis ‘Gravetye Beauty’.   Gravetye Beauty Clematis

Another C. texensis hybrid that blooms on new growth with stop-red flowers.  The combination of the color and shape of the flowers make them a magnet for hummingbirds.

Clematis ‘Princess Diana’.   Princess Diana Clematis

A hot raspberry color on this hybrid that grows 10’ to 12’.

Clethra pringlei.   Evergreen Mexican Sweetspire

EVERY garden can use one of these handsome, 15’ narrow, upright evergreen trees. The new growth is a stunning bronze color and long racemes of fragrant white blooms in the Spring produce a delightful cinnamon fragrance.  Performs well in full sun or light shade.

Crinum ‘Stars and Stripes’.   Stars and Stripes Crinum Lily

Well-known plantsman Scott Ogden refers to crinum lilies as the “peonies of the South” and, indeed there is evidence of them in numerous old garden sites.  This selection belongs to the wine and milk category and is one of the best for Deep South gardens.  Plant it in a sunny spot, give it moisture when dry, and enjoy the 2’ bloom stalks in mid-summer that produce slightly fragrant flowers over a long period.

Cryptomeria japonica ‘Knaptonensis’.   Knaptonensis Japanese Cedar

A true dwarf Japanese Cedar that is unusual in that it requires full shade for us due to the white tips on the foliage that will scorch if planted in the sun.  It is conical in shape and slow-growing to 2’.

Cunninghamia lanceolata ‘Glauca’.   BlueChina Fir

An especially fine clone of this traditional evergreen conifer slow-growing to 40 – 60’ with a spread of 15 – 20’ and requires excellent drainage.  Best in full sun where it develops a pyramidal form.  There is not the same amount of die-back in this form as there is in the green selection.

Dierama pulcherrima.   Angel’s Fishing Wand / Wandflower

The common name says it all for this slow-growing plant with grasslike foliage.  It is ideal for pot culture where it can be placed in full sun and assured of good drainage.  The magenta bell-like flowers on 3’ – 4’ flower stalks dance with the slightest breeze; movement that is magical in the garden.

Drimiopsis maculata.    Measles Plant

Fleshy green leaves with dark spots on it give this great shade garden plant fromSouth Africa its ugly common name.  Plant it in total shade to partial sun and enjoy both its foliage and the 10” flower stalks topped with long-lasting chalk-white flowers.  Clump-forming, it appreciates rich, friable soil and does not attract slugs!

Dyckia platyphylla.   Hardy Bromeliad

This selection is a dramatic and architectural accent for the dry garden or pot culture.  Glossy leaves are suffused with what plantsman Carl Schoenfeld describes as a coca-cola color!  The short, white teeth are in sharp (!) contrast to the leaves.  Spikes with yellow-orange flowers will appear on mature plants.

Elaeocarpus decipiens.   Japanese Blueberry Tree

Outstanding as a specimen plant or as a privacy hedge or visual barrier, this densely-branched, upright growing, evergreen with very shiny foliage produces small, fragrant white threadlike flowers on the underside of the branches.  The flowers are attractive to bees, birds, and butterflies and are followed by non-staining berries that look more like olives than blueberries.  The tree will lose a few leaves each year and the bonus of this is that they turn stop-red before falling; truly beautiful.  Give it full sun, or very light shade and it will grow to about 40’ by 20’; insect and disease resistant.  It does not get much better than this.

Eucalyptus neglecta.   Omeo Gum

One of the hardiest of all eucalyptus, this one is fast-growing to 40’; when young, the very aromatic leaves are rounded, elongating at maturity.  The typical blue-green color is a great accent in the garden and it can have a purplish tinge when the weather becomes very cold.  When older, the red-brown bark will peel, adding interest.  It does best in full sun but will also perform in some shade.  Good for flower arranging.

Eurya japonica ‘Green Thinly-margined’.   Variegated Eurya

An especially choice evergreen plant with dark green foliage that has burgundy tinges in the Winter and tiny white blossoms along the stems in Spring.  This selection is dwarf and spreading with silver gray margins on the leaves attached to stems in a herringbone pattern.

Euscaphis japonica.   Sweetheart Tree

The yellow blooms of the 15’ deciduous Sweetheart Tree give way in midsummer to warty, heart-shaped red fruits that open to expose black seeds.  The late, famed J. C. Raulston always declared this as one of his favorites.  It is a showy tree for the small garden; wants some high shade, adequate moisture and good drainage.

Gordonia axillaris.   Fried Egg Tree

When the blossoms fall from this evergreen 12’ – 15’ tree, they always land “sunny side up”, hence the unusual name.  The bright yellow stamens centered in the creamy white flowers grow in clusters from early Fall into Winter and the red tips of the new foliage persist throughout the year.  Give this plant plenty of moisture and good drainage and some protection from afternoon sun.  Light pruning will help shape the plant and encourage new growth.

Hibiscus syriacus ‘Blue Bird’.   Blue Bird Rose of Sharon

Rose of Sharon is one of the heirloom plants of the Deep South; this selection being the closest to true blue, flowering on new growth.  The shrub can grow to 8’ and becomes leggy in time unless pruned or cut back, preferably in late Winter.  It will bloom prolifically from June into November if given adequate sun and moisture.

Ilex paraguariensis.   Paraguay Holly / Yerba Mate Tree

These plants were cutting grown from the tree in the Mobile Botanical Gardens’ Herb Garden.  An evergreen holly from South America it is the source for Yerba Mate Tea, consumed throughout that region to promote good health.  This small interesting evergreen tree tolerates full sun and a variety of soil conditions; it is a moderate grower and will ultimately reach 12’ – 15’.  Small creamy-white blooms occur on the stems and are followed by red berries, a favorite food of birds.

Illicium lanceolatum.   Lance-leaf Anise

This selection is a more compact form of one of our favorite native shrubs and grows to about 6’ with rosy-red flowers.  A favorite of the great plantsman Mike Dirr.

Itea chinensis.   Chinese Sweetspire

A must for the woodland garden!  This evergreen sweetspire is broader than it is tall, to about 6’ x 8’.  It likes partial shade and moist, well-drained soil and in the Spring it produces fragrant, pendulous white flowers 6” to 8” long, stunning against the dark foliage.  Very elegant.

Juniperus chinensis ‘Torulosa’.   Hollywood Juniper

Talk about the perfect accent plant!  This contorted evergreen juniper is a relatively fast grower to 15’ by 10’ wide and is an excellent plant for Gulf Coast conditions.  Give it full sun and good drainage and its twisted growth habit will make it look like growing sculpture.

Kalanchoe thyrsiflora ‘Flapjack’.   Desert Cabbage / Paddle Plant

A wonderful container plant for a patio or by the front door!  Wherever there is full sun, this is an 8” star that will shine.  Drought-tolerant and too tender for our winters outside unless protected, this clumping succulent has gray-green, paddle-like leaves tinged in red; the more sun, the redder the leaves.

Leucophyllum frutescens.   Purple Sage / Cenizo

The soft gray-green color of the foliage on this evergreen, hardy shrub adds a lovely color to the summer garden.

It blooms intermittently from April to October with lavender-purple blossoms.  Give it full sun and well-drained conditions; prune to keep from becoming leggy.  Can reach 8’ by 4’.  It is a really eye-catching shrub.

Magnolia ashei.   Ashe Magnolia

A smaller version of the Big-leaf Magnolia, this choice deciduous tree has a shrubby form and blooms when very young, making it possible to enjoy the magnificent blooms at close range.  The leaves are 24” long and the showy, fragrant, white blooms are 10” to 12” across, followed by round, rosy-red cones.  The tree will eventually reach about 18’ to 20’ in height.

Magnolia cylindrical.   Cylindrical Magnolia

This is such a choice and rare 20’ deciduous tree in the magnolia genus.  The cylindrical-shaped flowers give it the common name, white blossoms tinged purple at the base of the petals.  Wonderful rounded cones with orange-red seeds are an added bonus. Planted in filtered light in moist, well-drained soil, it will give years of pleasure in the garden.  The tree is endangered in its nativeChina due to clear cutting and collection of buds for medicinal purposes.

Magnolia pyramidata.   Pyramid Magnolia

One of the loveliest of our native trees, it is deciduous and grows to about 30’ with elegant creamy-white blooms that appear in the Spring with the emerging foliage.  Another outstanding feature is its showy magenta-red cone.

The tree can be identified by the two small lobes that form at the base of the leaf.

Magnolia tripetala.   Umbrella Magnolia

Why not an entire garden of magnolias?!  This is another of our beautiful deciduous varieties; a native in Alabama, that will grow best in woodland conditions, under high shade, and reach a height of 30’ with a spreading crown of 20’.  Large leaves attached at regular intervals around branches give the effect of layers of umbrellas and the tree is easily identified by this pattern.

Magnolia (Michelia) dianica (yunnanensis).   Yunnan Magnolia (Michelia)

This is one of several truly special plants in the Sale.  A scaled-down version of other Michelias, this relatively new selection has a spreading, open form and is reliable in high shade, protected from hot afternoon sun.  Fuzzy cinnamon-colored buds form in the leaf axils; the sheath peels away to reveal creamy-white lemon-scented flowers.  There is some variability in the growth habit.  It could also be used in a container.  A winner!

Mahonia eurybracteata. 

There is no common name, as yet, for this most elegant of partial-shade plants, introduced by stellar plantsman Ozzie Johnson.  Unlike most other Mahonias, this one displays very narrow, bamboolike, mounding foliage that is soft and has very few spines.  Its yellow blooms in January are a welcome presence.

Morus alba ‘Pendula’.   Weeping Mulberry

An eye-catching specimen plant, the Weeping Mulberry should occupy a dominant place in the landscape.  The usual height is about 8’ with a width of 10’ at maturity.  White blossoms in the Spring are followed by berries that are attractive to birds.  This form was featured in a recent Garden Design magazine.

Neillia thibetica(longiaracemosa).   Neillia

A deciduous shrub, upright in form to 4’ with cinnamon-colored stems to give it Winter interest.  Heavily-textured leaves are a great background to the racemes of lovely pink flowers in the Spring.  New and unusual.

Ophiopogon japonica  ‘Kigimafukiduma’.   Kigimafukiduma Mondo Grass

This delicate short grass is ideal for the woodland or Japanese garden.  It has a thin leaf with creamy-white stripes running the length of the leaf and is wonderful interplanted with Spring ephemerals which disappear in the Summer. The light pink blooms are followed by dark purple berries.

Parrotia persica

 ‘Pendula’.   Weeping Persian Ironwood

A choice offering, this is a deciduous specimen plant, originally fromEngland’s Hillier Arboretum.  It has a broad growth habit; 8’ – 10’ tall by 10’ – 12’ wide with small red flowers, mottled bark and good Fall color provided by the heavily-textured leaves.  Give it plenty of room, then stand back and admire!

 'Vanessa’.   Vanessa Persian Ironwood

Another form of the species, Vanessa is a small tree to 25’ with a narrow columnar growth habit; excellent choice for a tight space.  Spidery red blooms are actually clusters of stamens and appear on the bare branches in late Winter and remain into early Spring.

Philadelphus x 'Snow Dwarf’.   Snow Dwarf Mock Orange

Abundant double white flowers with a citrus fragrance cover the arching branches of this dwarf form of a traditional garden favorite.  A citrus fragrance permeates the 3’ by 3’ shrub when it is in flower; after the blossoms fade, the dark-green oval leaves are a great background for summer color plantings.

Podocarpus macrophyllus.   Groundcover Yew

The Coastal South does not have a great many low-growing evergreen shrubs so this is particularly welcome; it is a groundcover form of the familiar upright yew.  In full sun or partial shade and well-drained soil it grows no taller than 2’ to 3’.  Slow-growing but very effective.

Poncirus trifoliate ‘Flying Dragon’.   Trifoliate Orange / Hardy Orange

This is one plant guaranteed to keep neighborhood children and dogs out of your garden!  Check out the claw-like thorns on this 6’ deciduous shrub, most prominent in Winter when the leaves have fallen.  The fruit is extremely sour to taste, but is often used for delicious marmalade.  In the early days of this country, the plant was used to keep animals out or penned in.  It’s a great conversation plant!

Quercus glauca.   Japanese Blue Oak / Ring-Cupped Oak

One of the most underused and satisfactory oaks for the Gulf Coast area.  Think in terms of a small live oak; but with a height of only about 30’ and a spread of 35’, a slow rate of growth and a dense canopy.  This is not an oak  that will swallow up the garden; it will tolerate most soils but does require good drainage.

Salix alba ‘Tristis’.   Golden Niobe Weeping Willow

A good plant for that sunny, wet site in the garden, this is one of the best of the many weeping willows on the market.  The main branches are upright with pendulous, yellow side branches and the leaves are a bright yellow-green above and silky-white on the underside. It grows to 50’ – 60’ tall.

Salix matsudana ‘Tortuosa’.   Corkscrew Willow / Dragon’s Claw Willow

Like all willows, this one prefers a moist site and full sun and grows to about 25’ with distinctive contorted branching.  Springtime female catkins are a lovely yellow.

Sinojackia rehderiana.   Jack Tree

This deciduous shrub or small tree loves our Gulf Coast climate!  In the styrax family, it holds its foliage until late in the season and produces delicate, white blossoms in the Spring.  It requires partial or filtered shade and when young, is a mounding form, eventually sending up a central leader to 15’ forming a small tree, or it can be cut back to retain the shrub form.  Take your pick!

Stachyurus praecox ‘Rubriflorus’.    Ruby Spiketail

It is unlikely that this will still be in flower for the Sale, or every one would be snapped up immediately.  The long flower racemes bloom in late Winter and are yellow tinged with ruby, hanging from arching canes on an 8’ tall deciduous shrub.  Given average moisture, this is the perfect plant for the woodland or high shade garden.

Stewartia henryae.   Henry’s Stewartia

Another rare and choice tree (we have so many of them in the sale!), this stewartia is a cross between S. malacodendron and S. monadelpha, the Orangebark Stewartia, which resulted in a small, refined deciduous plant. In the Spring, 2” white blossoms with yellow stamens, tinged purple, cover the tree.  This one should definitely be highlighted in the garden!

Stewartia rostrata.   Beaked Stewartia

This upright-form deciduous stewartia grows to 20’ in partial shade with adequate moisture that drains well.  Pinkish-red buds open to large white flowers with prominent yellow centers in late Spring/early Summer.  There is a tinge of pink to the foliage in the Fall and the beaked red seed capsule that persists into Winter gives the tree its common name.

Styrax japonica ‘Emerald Pagoda’.    Emerald Pagoda Japanese Snowbell

If one Styrax is good, why not two!  The late, great plantsman J. C. Raulston originally brought cuttings of this deciduoud plant to the United States from Korea.  It is the most vigorous of the selections, with an oval, upright form and it bears significantly larger white, fragrant, starlike blooms in the Spring.  Plant it as an understory tree in dappled light, and enjoy watching it grow rapidly to 10’ and then more slowly to 25’ at maturity.

Symphoricarpos orbiculatus ‘Central Avenue’.   Central Avenue Indian Currant / Coralberry

This great 3’ – 4’ deciduous mounding shrub is a star in the Fall and Winter garden with magenta-colored berries, similar to the American Beautyberry.  The Spring flowers are insignificant but the berries come on in October and last well into Spring because the birds do not eat them.  It will tolerate the poorest of conditions in dry shade, a good location, as it spreads through rooting branches and ground level shoots.

Taxodium mucronatum.   Mexican Baldcypress

A canopy tree to 100’ or more, the choice Mexican Baldcypress is difficult to find in the trade.  It is pyramidal when young and matures with a broader, dense crown, pendulous branches and an extremely thick trunk at the ground level. A unique and stunning, much sought-after, tree.

Viburnum harryanum.   Harry’s Viburnum

A shrub to 6’ and somewhat broader, this evergreen has small, glossy, almost- round leaves with white flowers in late Spring or early Summer.  Its flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies and its dense growth and fruit makes it attractive to birds.

Viburnum luzonicum.   Luzon Viburnum

A wonderful evergreen for the Deep South growing to 12’ in full sun.  This four-season plant has glossy textured foliage and reddish new growth; white flowers in the Spring followed by translucent red berries and good color in the Fall.  Tolerant of most soils and perfect for the hedgerow or as a specimen plant. Birds are attracted to the berries.

Viburnum rectangulatum.   Blushing Viburnum

Reddish new growth gives this compact evergreen viburnum its common name.  An easy plant with very glossy foliage, white flowers in the Spring and vivid red translucent berries in late Summer.  Full sun produces the best color on this 8’ shrub. Attractive to bees, butterflies and birds.

Viburnum ‘Whorled Class’.   Whorled Class Dwarf Viburnum

Another of the dwarf viburnums with very dense foliage, heavily-flowered in the Spring and berries in the late Summer or Fall that attract the birds.  It is a lovely addition to any garden.