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Please observe a 3-of-a kind plant limit.
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Geranium himalayense 'Plenum' --'Birch's Double' -- Lilac-blue double flowers adorn this spreading hardy Geranium that will fill in spaces between larger plants. Leaves are 3-4" wide, deeply lobed, and turn red in fall. Hardy to zones 5-9 and needs some afternoon shade above zone 7.
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Geranium sanguineum
-- Bloody Cranesbill -- is a lovely species
selection from northeastern Austria. These days when the thought of
species extinction in plants comes to mind, a picture of the splendid
rainforests of the world fills the brain. However, plants are also
taking a real beating in the industrialized areas of the world. If you
would ever witness a natural stand of G. sanguineum in bloom, I am
certain you would not be able to understand how anyone could put a
factory on top of one without even a second thought. This is what's
happening, however, and only a handful are left in their native
habitat. Growing to 12-14" tall, with extremely cut leaves (the lobes
running almost to the base of each leaf). Large, single, purple
flowers, each on its own stem, add to the overall outstanding beauty of
this plant. Hardy in all but the coldest zones or under concrete, zones
4-8.
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Gladiolus callianthus
'Murieliae' syn. Acidanthera bicolor 'Murieliae'--
Peacock Lily -- This shows how confusing names can be:
whether it's a Glad or its own separate genus, it certainly isn't a
lily. What it is is a distinctive plant with purple-throated white
flowers that have been described as "gently perfumed skydiving swans".
The flowers appear on 2' stems sequentially, making for a month of
blossoms. |
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Globba is a lesser-known member of the ginger family, with graceful, fantastical flowers and conspicuous bracts. This one, Globba cathcartii, is an eastern Himalayan species to about 3', with an 18" flower spike. Lower buds open first, yellow with chocolate bracts, and stay open for a week or two, the bloom then proceeding up the stem. Bloom is in late summer. Some of the buds produce bulbils instead of flowers, and these fall to the ground and remain dormant overwinter, then sprout in mid- to late spring. Because the rhizome is winter-dormant, this plant is zone 8 hardy in the shade garden. |
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Goodyera
pubescens is the eastern US version of Rattlesnake
Plantain. The leaves are slightly smaller, more rounded, a bit lighter
in color, and not wavy. The variegation is perhaps a bit more subtle
because the lighter leaf color offers less contrast. Grows throughout
much of the eastern US and southern Canada. Zone 5. |
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Gunnera hamiltonii -- This endangered species is one
of the rarest plants in New Zealand, confined to only 5 known habitats.
Fortunately, it does well in cultivation, needing a moist place. We
like to grow this type underneath the giant types, as it creates a
wet-area groundcover. Leaf rosettes are dusty olive to bronze. Green
flowers give way to red fruits. Hardiness is not well-established, but
it is from the extreme southern end of South Island, so zone 8b seems
likely.
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Gunnera
manicata -- Giant Gunnera,
Dinosaur Food -- Having perhaps
the largest leaves on any plant, Giant Gunnera appeals to large men who
drive large trucks, as well as to more moderate-sized and -mounted
gardeners. Unfortunately, more people want to grow it than can; it's
vigorous and robust in the right situation, but will fall right over in
the wrong one. What it does like is soil moisture. In its native area,
the cloud forests of the Andes, it grows in shade near springs and
streams. With individual leaves that can be 4-6' in compatible US
locations (8-10' in Chile) it takes an awful lot of water. On the other
hand, it doesn't like high temperatures or humidity or strong direct
sun. It's only hardy to zone 7, and there only with a mulch, so much of
the US is either too hot and/or humid in summer or too cold in winter.
As a practical matter, northen California, Oregon, and Washington are
the best places to grow this plant. We know from experience that Texans
and Floridians are going to try it anyway; just remember we told you
so. Not shipped in hot weather. |
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Gunnera magellanica -- Although maybe not obvious at first glance, this plant is much like a very miniaturized version of G. manicata, above, in terms of leaf shape (although these leaves are more rounded) and even spreading habit. But the leaves on this plant are just 2-3" wide, and it forms a groundcover mat in moist conditions. Produces small flowers with red bracts. |
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Gunnera prorepens -- Creeping Gunnera -- Another small, groundcover-type plant with leaves only an inch long, this one from New Zealand. The leaves are deep bronzy grey-green and slightly furry. In midsummer, 3" spikes of red berries adorn specimens planted in the right spot, which would be a boggy area protected from hot sun. A carpet of this plant underneath one of the enormous species is both attractive and interesting. Zone 7. |
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