PINELLIA (Araceae)
Asian green dragon |
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| Pinellia pedatisecta ~ With its horseshoe-shaped compound leaf and its long, whip-like spadix which protrudes like a dragon's tongue from a narrow green spathe, this – the largest member (18 inches tall) of a genus of diminutive aroids – superficially resembles the native green dragon, Arisaema dracontium. It differs in several respects, however, including in its continual season-long bloom and its penchant for seeding itself about, prolifically so in areas with warm, humid summers. BECAUSE OF ITS INVASIVE POTENTIAL IN SOUTHERN GARDENS WE WILL SELL IT ONLY TO CUSTOMERS IN ZONES 4 THROUGH 6. It prefers some shade, but any site that's not too parched will suffice. Modified continental/continental; N & W China. Zone 4. Enter
quantity: |
1/$7
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PUSCHKINIA (Hyacinthaceae)
Striped squill |
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 Puschkinia scilloides
'Aragats' Gem' ~
From Armenia's Mt. Aragats to your garden, here is a major advance over
the material commonly available in the trade, with larger flowers in
fuller racemes. It so far surpasses other cultivated forms that you may find yourself wanting to stage a puschkinia putsch. Modified continental/montane. Zone 5.
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1/$6 |
RHODOPHIALA (Amaryllidaceae)
Oxblood lily; hurricane lily |
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| Rhodophiala bifida ~
"No
other Southern bulb can match the fierce vigor, tenacity, and
adaptability of the oxblood lily" (Ogden). Several bright red 2-inch
trumpet flowers – like miniature "amaryllis" – open atop 6- to 10-inch
scapes in late summer and early fall. We offer the tough, vigorous
triploid form that has been cherished by generations of Southern
gardeners. Subtropical; Uruguay and Argentina. Zone 7.
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1/$4.50 |
SCILLA (Hyacinthaceae)
Squill |
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| Scilla bifolia var. taurica
~ With its large blue flowers, adorned with prominent purple anthers, this is one of the best takes on one of the essential early bulbs. The one-sided racemes appear as early as February. Montane; Turkey. Zone 5.
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1/$8
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| Scilla hohenackeri We have yet to see a spring squill that is not beautiful, and the Caspian bluebell is surely among the most beguiling. Frothy clusters of light purple-blue flowers — whose segments reflex to reveal black anthers — open on 4-inch stems in late winter. Steppe/montane; Caspian region. Zone 5.
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1/$11
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| Scilla rosenii
~ Gorgeous snowmelt species, bearing inch-long, porcelain-blue,
white-throated flowers – like an out-of-season campanula – on 4-inch
scapes in February and March. Grows easily in a well-drained,
moisture-retentive soil, shaded in summer. Montane; Armenia to NE
Turkey. Zone 6.
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1/$11
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| Scilla siberica ssp. ingridae
~ Take a typical Siberian squill, increase its size, intensify its color, and start its blooming season a few days earlier, and you've got a standout bulb for the late-winter garden. Or, rather, WE'VE got it. Modified continental/Mediterranean; S Europe. Zone 5.
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1/$6
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| Scilla verna
~ Native to coastal Europe, this is an excellent Scilla for an oceanside rock garden or embankment. The relatively upright, large, medium purplish-blue flowers debut in early spring to mid spring. Maritime/Mediterranean; Zone 5.
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1/$3
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TECOPHILAEA (Liliaceae)
Chilean blue crocus |
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 Tecophilaea cyanocrocus ~ The
legendary Chilean blue crocus, whose "exquisite flowers" (Bryan) are
not just any blue, but a deep, saturated, luminous blue of a purity and
intensity rarely found in nature. The 1-1/2-inch, white-veined,
trumpet-shaped, violet-scented blooms appear on 4-inch stems in spring.
A spectacular subject for a cool greenhouse, or possibly outdoors in
milder districts of the
western U.S, it needs rich, sharply drained soil and
a dryish rest in summer. Always in short supply and high demand.
Montane; Chile. Zone 8. Enter quantity: |
1/$25 |
 Tecophilaea cyanocrocus
'Leichtlinii' ~ An equally ravishing form of a lighter, ethereal,
summer-sky blue, with a generous white eye. Montane; Chile. Zone 8. Enter quantity: |
1/$25 |
TULIPA (Liliaceae)
Tulip |
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Offering some of the most spectacular and
elegant flowers in the genus, "species
tulips" are also valuable for their relative longevity and for their
adaptability to conditions most tulip hybrids can't tolerate. T. clusiana and T
. saxatilis , for example, are among
the few tulips that
thrive and flower in southern California, the southeast U.S., and other
mild-winter areas. It is a group of bulbs that
deserves considerably more attention from gardeners. Unless
stated otherwise, they prefer well-drained soil and sun. |
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| Tulipa aximensis
~ Somehow over the centuries (the Crusades being the most-often-presumed means of transport), several tulip species found their way from Asia to the wilds of western Europe. The brilliant poppy-red blooms (with intriguing gray exteriors) of this so-called neo-tulip once adorned the slopes of the Alps from France to Italy. It is now near extinction in the wild. Montane; Savoy region. Zone 5. Enter quantity:
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1/$6 |
 Tulipa bifloriformis
'Starlight' ~ This outstanding selection of an endearing species
produces white, yellow-eyed star-flowers in early spring on 3- to
4-inch stems. It has none of the ranginess of the form usually
encountered in the trade. Steppe; C Asia. Zone 5.
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1/$4 |
 Tulipa clusiana ~
The lady tulip,
possibly the most sought after of the genus, instantly recognizable by
its alternating “petals” of carmine and white, giving a candy-cane
effect (and leading to another of its nicknames, lipstick tulip). The
slender, 2-1/2-inch-high flowers open wide in bright sun, exposing the
contrasting lilac basal blotch. One of the most vigorous and
persistent tulips and among the few that thrive in California and the
deep South, it needs a warm,
sunny site and well-drained soil. Steppe; Iran to Afghanistan. Zone 5. Enter quantity: |
1/$6 |
 Tulipa dasystemonoides
~ Take a flower of T. bifloriformis, expand its sunny
basal blotch,
color its segments tawny-green outside, and you have the general idea,
which is an excellent one for the rock garden or any other place where
adorable tulips can receive their due attention and praise. Steppe; C
Asia. Zone 5.
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1/$4.50 |
| Tulipa didieri
~ Here is another of the neo-tulips, those rare and intriguing European tulip species that apparently descend from bulbs brought back from the Middle East by early explorers. This beauty hoists large bright scarlet-red flowers on foot-tall stems in May, very late in the tulip season. Montane/Mediterranean; Savoy region. Zone 6. Enter quantity:
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1/$6 |
 Tulipa dubia ~
This lovely thing bears bright-yellow, 3-inch-wide flowers – their
exteriors stained purplish pink – on 10-inch stems in April. Sun and
good drainage are a must. Steppe/montane; C Asia. Zone 5.
Enter quantity:
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1/$6 |
| Tulipa humilis wild form
~ These bulbs are not from cultivated stock, but rather from wild-collected seed, reflecting much of the glorious diversity of this starry-flowered species. Flower color will range from pink to purple, with anthers and central blotches of black or yellow. Steppe; C Asia. Zone 6. Enter quantity:
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1/$5 |
 Tulipa ingens ~ A dazzler, with
8-inch-wide, rather narrow-lobed flowers of glossy, smoldering
vermillion, centered pure jet-black, over grayish leaves. The flowers
appear in April on 12- to 16-inch stems. Steppe; central Asia. Zone 6.
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1/$6 |
| Tulipa kaufmanniana Ugam ~ This new selection from the wilds of Kazakhstan bears lovely rosy-pink flowers with white "petal" margins and white interiors on relatively tall (12- to 15-inch) stems very early in the tulip season. Steppe/montane; Kazakhstan. Zone 5.
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1/$5 |
 Tulipa schrenkii ~ Splendid rock
garden subject, bearing 2.5-inch, crimson goblets with orange margins
in April and May on 4-inch stems. April to May bloom. Steppe/modified
continental; Caucasus to NW Iran. Zone 6.
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1/$3.50 |
 Tulipa aff.
turkestanica
~ With T. bifloriformis 'Starlight' and T. dasystemonoides, this makes
three cute yellow-eyed tulips from which to choose this year. Why not
order one of each and let them vie for the honor of cutest? Steppe; C
Asia. Zone 5.
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1/$6 |
 Tulipa vvedenskyi ~ Va-va-voom.
Although
'Tangerine Beauty,' the commonly offered clone of this species, is a
perfectly nice plant, it certainly doesn't supersede the original. So
allow us to reintroduce you to this "beautiful, but rare species"
(Jelitto & Schacht), with red-orange, wide-flaring flowers --
shaded yellow at their centers -- on 8- to 12-inch stems in April. The
narrow, gray-green leaves are also attractive. Steppe/montane; central
Asia.
Zone 5.
Enter quantity:
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1/$4 |
| Tulipa whittallii ~ Outside, its solitary, cup-shaped flower – poised on a 10-inch stem –
is a bit of a milquetoast, cloaked in subdued tones of pale yellow and
green. But – surprise! – inside it's a startling, swashbuckling bright
orange. Your inner child (as well as any outer children you might have)
will love it. Mediterranean; Zone
6. Enter quantity:
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1/$1.50 |
| Tulipa 'Lady Guna'
~ Janis Ruksans' hybrid of T. vvedenskyi and T. albertii, offering flowers of an luminous bright red, complemented by wavy, gray-green leaves. A very good "doer", and one of the most exciting tulip hybrids to come along in the past couple decades. Zone 5. Enter quantity:
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1/$3.50 |