Rare & Unusual Plants

The beautifully mottled, splashed, and flecked yellowish, chartreuse, and deeper green variegated succulent ovate foliage adorns the zig-zagging stems of this upright growing succulent and summer may bring a ring-like cluster of 1" long deep red, bird-shaped flowers that attract hummingbirds and give the plant its common name. The Splish Splash or Mottled Red Bird Cactus is an easy to grow highly decorative form of this heirloom and Florida native plant that has an easy and forgiving disposition creating fantastic, architecturally pleasing specimens. A shrub-like native of tropical forests of southern Florida and as far south as Central America, it makes an easy porch or patio plant where it partial shade to bright shade but can also be enjoyed as an easy indoor plant.  Allow the soil to become somewhat dry between waterings although it can tolerant more moisture when in active growth and less during winter. Item# 12608

A rare striped Sasanqua! This is a heavily flowering plant that produces loads of medium-sized, single to semi-double, white flowers that are randomly striped and often heavily edged with starkly contrasting deep rose red and are centered by a boss of nicely contrasting yellow stamens. Flowering occurs in early to midseason, October to January, attracting bees with ample pollen. Stars 'N Stripes Sasanqua Camellia has a moderate rate of growth with an upright to spreading, densely branching habit and matures into a medium-sized, evergreen shrub. The dark green, medium-textured, glossy foliage acts as a wonderful foil to its fall flowers and is sure to be a conversation piece. Sure to make a neat choice for a hedge, specimen, or accent in the garden and landscape as well as for container culture. The Sasanqua Camellias are much more tolerant of growing conditions than standard Japonica Camellias and can tolerate less than perfect soils and full sun to light shade conditions. Images courtesy of Cam Too Camellia Nursery, all rights reserved. Item# 13243

Rare and Unusual! The large 7-10" wide dark magenta flowers are held against contrasting variegated deep green foliage that is edged in a narrow band of white and pink and even the buds are intrestingly striped in green and white. Summer Carnival Hardy Hibiscus is a rare variegated form of Perennial Hibiscus flowering from summer into early fall with a compact branching habit. This is sure to be a fun plant in the garden and landscape! Provide a full to mostly sunny location in moist to average moist to wet, moderately fertile soils. Caterpillar host: Gray hairstreak. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12068

Clusters of soft yellow-orange tubular buds mature into medium orange tubular trumpet-shaped flowers that darken as they age. Flowering begins in late winter to early spring and continues cyclically throughout the growing season and finishing up in fall at the end of hummingbird season. Tangerine Princess Coral Honeysuckle, a Louisiana selection of Lonicera sempervirens, is a native, twining, deciduous, woody vine that is one of the longest flowering vines for attracting hummingbirds. The mother plant was discovered during a tour of the Dr. Charles Allen Nature Preserve in northern Louisiana with its namesake noted botanist, author, and retired professor Dr. Charles Allen, Ken and Sonie Milton, etal. Coral or Trumpet Honeysuckle will happily twine through a 6' high chain link fence or up an 8' arbor, trellis, or post. Caterpillar host: Chalcedon Checkerspot. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, fertile, well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. 1/4" red berries follow flowering and are a treat for songbirds. Item# 957

The large waterfall like clusters (racemes) of white, bell-shaped flowers that are produced in late winter and early spring and last for weeks, absolutely shine against the dark green foliage covering the upper and outer portions of this easy evergreen shrub. Temple Bells Pieris, Pieris japonica 'Temple Bells', is a small to medium-sized evergreen shrub with a slow rate of growth. The glossy deep dark green ovate foliage that emerges in red to bronze shades and finally to medium green before deepening in color adding to this plants seasons of interest. This member of the Blueberry family, Ericaceae, is one of the more shade tolerant evergreens but it is perfectly happy in morning sun to filtered shade. Temple Bells Pieris will do best in a moist to average moist soil rich in organic matter, with average or better drainage and will happily grow anywhere that Azaleas, Camellias, and Japanese Maples thrive. It is more tolerant of calcareous soils than most members of this family, including in the midwest, but acidic soils are probably optimal. Provide an organic mulch and use slow release fertilizers that are labeled for acid loving plants. I pass by these shrubs in my mother's garden on the north side of her house twice a day and never tire of its welcome flowers during the dreary days of late winter when we are so ready for spring! Item# 1190

An exceptionally rare species found only in 4 Texas counties, Texan Trailing Phlox is a low growing groundhugging perennial that produces clusters of deep fuchsia pink Thrift-like flowers held above the low trailing stems that are densely covered in short needle-like deep green foliage. The flowers attract butterflies large and small alike. This evergreen native perennial needs excellent drainage and is typically found growing on sandy pimple mounds. It can be used as a groundcover in the garden and landscape where soils have excellent drainage. Texan Trailing Phlox, Phlox nivalis ssp. texensis, also makes an easy and forgiving container plant with stems that can trail to 12" or more. In containers use a cactus-like mix and preferrably unglazed terra cotta containers. Item# 11966

The Variegated Red Shrimp Plant produces a continuous display of upright to arching spikes composed of large showy maroon bracts from which the individual maroonish-red and white tubular flowers emerge in spring and summer to year round under warm tropical conditions. This plant has exceptional flower power along with beautifully variegated foliage that is flecked and splotched with creamy white. Use as a container plant specimen and in mixed container gardens as well as in the garden and landscape. The common Shrimp Plant, Justicia brandegeeana, is a heat loving, naturally evergreen, bushy, tropical plant with dark olive green foliage and grows to about 24" high by about 18" wide. It is both full sun and bright shade tolerant but tends to have the densest branching habit where it receives at least 4 hours or more of direct sunlight. Provide an average to well-drained, moderately fertile, average moist soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Attracts hummingbirds and the occasional larger butterfly and is an RHS Award of Garden Merit winner. Caterpillar host: Cuban Crescent, Texan Crescent, White Peacock, and Malachite. Item# 710

The large 3-4" wide, funnel shaped, white flowers are neatly edged in a broad band of contrasting rich reddish-pink and seem to nearly glow against the foil of dark green, medium textured foliage. Flowering is in midspring attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Vibrant Evergreen Azalea, a Harris hybrid, is a rare dwarf with a dense and compact habit that lends itself to bonsai culture but is sure to be a low-maintenance conversation piece in the garden and landscape.  Azaleas do best in average moist, acidic soils that are rich in organic matter but have good to excellent drainage and should be top dressed with an organic mulch such as pine straw and pine bark. We recommend using a slow-release, non-burning fertilizer that is labeled for acidic loving plants. Item# 12576

Yellow trumpet shaped flowers are heavily accented by deep brick red in the throat and are produced in mass in spring to early summer with flowering coinciding with the arrival of migrating hummingbirds. The flowers have a fragrance similar to the candy Bit O' Honey that my mother often enjoyed as we were growing up. The flowers also attract larger bees and other pollinators. The Wabash Valley Crossvine, a selection of Bignonia capreolata from its northern most regions in Wabash County in southern Illinois and was selected by the late Dr. Wesley Whiteside and was introduced to the nursery trade by Ellen Hornig via Broken Arrow Nursery. It was selected at least in part for its reliable zone 6 cold hardiness. The Crossvine is a vigorous semi-evergreen, clinging native vine that produces pads at the ends of its tendrils that can attach to most surfaces without harming brickwork and masonry. These native vines make a low maintenance choice for fences, posts, arbors, and larger trellises. Item# 13055

Rare in the nursery trade and certainly unusual, in late spring and early summer bring square-shaped clusters of purple flowers of this Beautyberry are followed by small green fruit that eventually turn to pure white in fall and winter. In the northern portions if its range it may freeze to the ground or back to its woodiest stems and grows to 6-8' high, in milder winter regions, like zone 9, it can become a 20' high shrub. Item# 10638.

A rare or at least uncommon color form of the ever popular Blue Pea Vine producing large white blossoms held against medium green to blue green foliage on a small vine with excellent flower power. The White Pea Vine makes the perfect vine for container culture on small trellises, mailboxes, and fences that will flower from spring nearly all the way until frost. By some accounts it is a tender perennial in mild winters but is more generally grown as an annual and it readily returns from seeds saved the previous winter. Provide a full to partial sun location in a moderately fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Caterpillar host: Longtail Skipper. Item# 11952

Beautiful and unique spidery white flowers absolutely cover this semi-dwarf evergreen shrub in mid-spring. The rare Koromo White Azalea's naturally compact growth habit, durability, and rare flower form make this a definite conversation piece. The lavender form of this Azalea, Koromo Shikibu or Purple Spider, lines the eastern border of the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Gardens at Stephen F Austin's Mast Arboretum. Azaleas do best in average moist, acidic soils that are rich in organic matter but have good to excellent drainage and should be top dressed with an organic mulch such as pine straw and pine bark. We recommend using a slow-release, non-burning fertilizer that is labeled for acidic loving plants. Item# 10813

This rare yellow flowered form of Chinese Hat produces yellow tubular blooms that emerge from the Chinese hat-like yellow calyxes are produced from late summer to autumn along the arching stems of this unusual shrub. An excellent late summer and fall flowering shrub-like to die-back perennial for a sunny location. Easy and begins flowering just in time for the Hummingbird migration southward. Provide a deep winter mulch in the northern portions of its range. Item# 10036.

A rare or uncommon color form of the common Red Shrimp Plant, the Yellow Queen Shrimp Plant produces a continuous display of upright to arching spikes composed of large showy light yellow to chartreuse colored bracts from which the individual white tubular flowers emerge in spring and summer to year round under warm tropical conditions. It displays the same habit and exceptional flower power of its maroon-red bracted cousin making a beautiful display as a container plant specimen and in mixed container gardens as well as in the garden and landscape. The common Shrimp Plant, Justicia brandegeeana, is a heat loving, naturally evergreen, bushy, tropical plant with dark olive green foliage and grows to about 24" high by about 18" wide. It is both full sun and bright shade tolerant but tends to have the densest branching habit where it receives at least 4 hours or more of direct sunlight. Provide an average to well-drained, moderately fertile, average moist soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Attracts hummingbirds and the occasional larger butterfly and is an RHS Award of Garden Merit winner. Caterpillar host: Cuban Crescent, Texan Crescent, White Peacock, and Malachite. Item# 1170

Unusual for the Florida Flame Azalea! Whorls of deep rich rosy pink to near red, pointed, tubular buds open to display the large light to medium pink, lightly fragrant, butterfly pollinated flowers that are produced in early spring atop the still bare stems. The Yellow River Pink Florida Flame Azalea, Rhododendron austrinum typically produces flowers in shades of yellow and orange and so this is quite uncommon for this species, was discovered by Ron Miller along the banks of the Yellow River in Alabama. As is typical for the native deciduous Azaleas, this is a naturally upright to vase shaped growing plant that rounds out somewhat at maturity and the foliage and new growth begin to emerge about the time the flowering season ends. As with other Azaleas and Rhododendrons, the Yellow River Pink Azalea will need a well-drained, acidic soil rich in organic matter with average moisture and will benefit greatly from an organic mulch, such as pine straw, to help maintain more even moisture levels during the growing season. They can be grown in full sun under good conditions but may benefit from midday or afternoon shade to filtered shade, especially in drier conditions. Images courtesy of Ron Miller, all rights reserved. Item#12743

The heavily variegated foliage is broadly edged, splotched, and flecked with creamy white and the variegation may also overlay patches of the green creating a silvery look. The young leaves are reddish purple eventually lightening to pink and finally maturing to cream. Not only does this beautifully variegated Sweet Olive look great but it also has excellent flower power with the show of sweetly fragrant clusters of creamy white blossoms beginning in fall and continuing into spring. Yinbi Shuanghui Sweet Olive is sure to make a statement in the garden and landscape year round. It is tolerant of full sun conditions, unlike many variegated plants, but it has also proven to be reliably cold hardy into zone 7B. Provide a full sun to partly shaded location in a well-drained, average moist, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 12366