Catalog O

OENOTHERA (Evening Primrose). Group of rapidly spread-

ing plants with pink or yellow simple flowers. Choose from:

berlandieri (speciosa?) Siskiyou. Fragrant, 2" pink blooms      on a petite plant. Classy; vigorous. Needs sharp drainage.

macrocarpa (was missouriensis). 2" bright yellow flowers;

short, good foliage. Silver Blade has 3-4 flowers.

Fremontii Lemon Silver is similar, 2 pale yellow flrs. youngii (Sundrops). 18". Smaller flowers on more upright

      plants; leaves tinged red. Spreads rapidly.

OMPHALODES cappadocica. 6-10. Light sky-blue flowers in Spring. Part to full shade: woodland. Zone 5 or warmer.

OPUNTIA humifusa (Prickly Pear Cactus). A real cactus, hardy in Zone 5. Broad flat 4" leaves stay close to the

ground. Yellow flowers come from leaf tips, sometimes followed by red fruits. Needs sharp drainage.

ORIGANUM (Oregano, Marjoram). We like laevigatum Herrenhausen (24-30"), an ornamental with dark foliage and dark pink blooms. There are several similar selections as well.

ORNAMENTAL GRASSES AND LOOK-ALIKES. Several families and species valued for foliage and for flowers (or seedheads) in the landscape. The best give structure to the garden and persist into the winter, adding drama to the winter landscape. Many are good in both fresh and dried arrangements. These are usefully divided into cool>

There are some plant families which are not truly grasses, but perform similarly in the landscape and are included here (bamboo, carex, liriope, beardless iris). Grasses listed here are warm season unless otherwise noted. We haven't included full scientific names on the grasses unless really necessary --they are jawbreakers! Many of the grasses and their cousins listed are rated in references for Zone 6 or 7 but have proven perfectly hardy in Zone 5. Weve been growing them here (on the edge of Zone 4) since 1988 and have never lost any to winter cold.

Most of our grasses are offered in 1-gallon pots. Its better to buy two or three of these than one 3- or 5-gallon container. Grasses are among the most successful>

ACHNATHERUM brachytricha (Diamond Grass) One ft. weeping tufts give rise to 3 ft. stems of feathery rose flowers.

ACORUS (Sweet Flag). For damp,and downright wet, places.

   calamus Variegatus. Green and white variegation. 24

30 derivative of our native sweet flag. Zone 5.

gramineus (Japanese sweet flag) 18

Ogon. A choice 10" gold & green plant, evergreen.

Variegatus. 8 10 White and green semi-evergreen

plant; needs moisture, tolerates standing water. Zone 5.

ALOPECURUS (Foxtail Grass) pratensis Aureovariegatus. 12-14". Gold striped leaves. Part shade. Cool>

ANDROPOGON gerardii (Big Blue Stem). 4-6 ft. grass of the American tall grass prairie. Silvery-blue foliage, bronze in Fall. Limited supply.

ARRHENATHUM (Bulbous Oat Grass) Cool>

ARUNDO donax (Giant Reed). The green form easily reaches 12'. Versicolor, the variegated form, is a little shorter. Both look like corn plants on steroids. Marvelous plants at the edge of a large pond.

BAMBOO. See Phyllostachys, Pleioblastus, Sasa.

BRIZA media (Quaking Grass). 24-36". The seed heads of this cool>

CALAMAGROSTIS (Feather Reed Grass). 72". A very columnar grass with somewhat insignificant flowers. Best tall grass for holding its shape during winter. Striking vertical accent from July on. Karl Foerster was 2001 Perennial Plant of the Year. Overdam is variegated.

CAREX (Sedge). Clump forming evergreen plants which like moisture and shade. Excellent near water. Narrow leaves, mounding habit. Weird insignificant flowers in Spring.

conica Marginata.(Miniature Variegated Sedge). 6".       Green with white variegation. Likes shade.

elata Bowles Golden. 2-3 ft. Best gold sedge, narrow

green edge. Limited.

hachijoensis Evergold. 12". Swirling mound; leaf has       broad gold edge, green center. Evergreen, even here!

morrowii Ice Dance. 12x12". Improved, if slightly       smaller, m. Variegata. Drought tolerant, and       vigorous when established.

m. Variegata. 18". Dark green leaves, white edge.

muskingumensis (Palm Sedge). 24-36". Great Lakes       native with a growth habit that looks tropical. Creeps, but       slowly. Yellow after frost. Hardy to Zone 4, at least.

pendula (Drooping Sedge). 2-3 ft. dark green leaves, arching

flower spikes.

plantaginea (plantain sedge).

sylvatica (Wood Sedge). wide v-shaped blades of deep

forest green. Evergreen and tough! To Zone 4.

CHASMANTHIUM latifolium (Northern Sea Oats). 30". Fresh light green leaves; multiple attractive seed heads droop from flower stalk in late summer. Excllent for drying. Will self sow, but not invasive. Shade or sun. A favorite.

DESCHAMPSIA caespitosa (Tufted Hair Grass). 24" clumps like moisture, sun or part-shade. Airy panicles add another foot of height in summer. We carry both the species and cultivar Goldgehaenge. Northern Lights is an exceptional variegated cultivar, which has a pink blush in cool>

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very striking plant. Fairys Joke is 18, with shaggy tan seed fronds. Hair grass is cool>

ELYMUS arenarius (Blue Lyme Grass). Effective height 12 - 24". Very blue leaves up to 1/2" wide on stout rhizomes.

Rapid spreader; planted in a contained space it will form dense drifts or mounds.

EQUISETUM hyemale (Horsetail, Scouring Rush). To 48". Striking vertical accent beside pools and in Japanese gardens. Ancient native plant. Sun, part shade. Zone 2. NEW

ERAGROSTIS trichoides (Sand Love Grass). 4 ft. erect clusters of dark green, slightly arching foliage. Long airy panicles appear in June and last thru late summer. This form thrives in light sandy soil in full sun. Good cut flower.

ERIANTHUS ravennae (Ravenna Grass, Northern Pampas Grass). Dense green clumps reach 4 - 5 feet; the bloom scapes rise above them to 12 feet in late summer. Magnificent in a site of sufficient scale.

ERIOPHORUM (Cotton Grass) . Bright white cottony heads to 2 in May-June; vigorous 24 plants that spread by long scaly rhizomes. Cool>

FESTUCA cinerea (Blue Fescue). Syn. F. glauca or F. ovina (Sheep's Fescue). Short tufts of fine leaves, flowers insignificant. Elijah Blue (8") seems to be the best cultivar. Good front-of-the-border accent but requires division every 2 to 3 years to look its best. To Zone 4.

HAKONECHLOA (Hakone Grass, Japanese Forest Grass) Macra Aureola is the gold variegated form, resembling a clumping bamboo. It is an elegant 18 accent for part shade areas, particularly weeping over a ledge. Yes, it grows in Zone 5. Macra Albo-Striata is a white-striped green form. We also have basic greena good shade groundcover.

HELICTOTRICHON sempervirens (Blue Oat Grass). Fine-leafed 12 to 18" clump. Flower panicles add 12 - 18" in early summer. Useful>Sapphire is an improved selection. Cool>

HOLCUS mollis Albovariegatus (Variegated Velvet Grass). Spreading, mat-forming evergreen with near white varieg-ation. Purplish white flower spikes in summer. Cool>

HYSTRIX patula (Bottlebrush Grass). Three foot native with distinctive seed heads, works in part shade.

IRIS spp. (Beardless Iris). Most beardless species and their cultivars fill similar landscape niches to the grasses. In Central New York, Siberian cultivars are most useful, being pH tolerant and giving the best fall foliage color. Seed pods are distinctive and excellent dried. See IRIS.

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JUNCUS (Rush) For wet areas. Effusus Spiralis (Cork Screw Rush) 18-24. Dramatic, twisted stems. Filiformis Spiralis is a more delicate form. Both are fine in standing water. Tenuis (Path Rush) forms short, dense tufts of emerald green.

LIRIOPE (Lily Turf). 8-12". In central New York, species muscari and spicata are hardy. They benefit from some sun here--are otherwise very slow to show growth in spring. We like best muscari Variegata with its spikes of purple flowers (like grape hyacinth) in late summer. Spicata is a vigorous spreader with insignificant white flowers. We recommend it as a groundcover for hard-to-mow areas in light shade to sun.

LUZULA sylvatica (Greater Wood Rush). Ever-green clumps to 12". Ideal for moist humusy soils. Also Nivea (Snowy Wood Rush).

MISCANTHUS spp. (Maiden Grass, Japanese Silver Grass, etc.). Typically large, loose, graceful>

giganteus (was floridulus) (Giant Chinese Silver Grass)

      Sends up canes as much as 2" thick and 16' tall. A fine       background plant in a large space. (Dried stalks can be       used as plant supports in the garden!).

 sinensis Autumn Light. Robust dark green with narrow       white center; handsome inflorescence. Very hardy.

 s. Cabaret. An outstanding Variegatus-type cultivar:       white center, green edge.

 s. Cosmopolitan. Reverse of Cabaret; excellent!.

 s. Dixieland. 3-4 ft dwarf form of s. Variegatus.

s. Ferner Osten. 4-5 ft. Dk foliage, wht rib, red seedhead.

s. Gracillimus (Maiden Grass). Like most of these       cultivars, a hybrid of M. sinensis, but a very old one.       Fine-textured and very narrowly striped white, it forms       a graceful>

 s. Graziella. 5-6 ft. White plumes on slender foliage.

s. Malepartus. Robust grower with large flowers that start

pink-purple, turn silver. Good Fall color.

s. Morning Light. 48-60". Slender green leaves with       narrow white vertical variegation. Few flowers stalks but       the foliage curls as it dries and persists well into the fall.       The most delicate and refined appearance in this family.

s. Nippon. Our best dwarf Silver grass, to about 4 ft. here.

The plume is neatly separated from the slender foliage.

s. Puenktchen (Little Dot). 36". A dwarf Zebra Grass.

s. Sarabande. 4-5 ft. Fine textured, silvery foliage; an

improved Gracillimus.

s. Silberfeder. One of the more rapidly spreading       varieties. The inflorescences really do look like silver       feathers with sunlight shining through them. Lax habit.

s. Silberpfeil (Silver Arrow). 5-7 ft. Highly variegated.

s. Variegatus. Vertical white variegation; different from       Morning Light--larger and more dramatic. The standard       variegated miscanthus.

s. Yaku Jima. 4-5 ft. For small gardens. Its compact, fine       textured foliage lasts well into Winter.

s. Strictus (Porcupine Grass) and s. Zebrinus (Zebra       Grass) These are hard to tell apart. Porcupine Grass is       supposed to be somewhat more hardy and more upright in       habit. Both have broad upright green leaves banded       creamy yellow. Nice vertical accent with coreopsis       'Moonbeam' and similar yellow perennials. To 6 ft.       Tolerant of moisture and some shade.

Molinia (Moor Grass). Characterized by low clumps of foliage, with seed heads on much taller stalks. The seed heads are loose and airy, somewhat like Switch Grass. Caerulea Variegata (24-30" overall) has a creamy yellow-white linear variegation. C. arundinacea Skyracer is distinguished by gray-green foliage to 36" and flower spikes to 7 feet.

OPHIOPOGON (Mondo Grass) A grass-like ground cover resembling liriope. We offer planiscapus Nigrescens, which has purple-black leaves. Listed for Zone 6 but we have grown it in Zone 5 for many years. Increases at a moderate rate.

PANICUM virgatum (Switch Grass). Native North American grass distinguished by its airy seed panicles in late summer. Green foliage turns yellow and red in fall. Cultivar Heavy Metal has a distinct blue cast and is more upright -- a real star. Cloud Nine is similar but hardier, to Zone 2. Shenandoah develops red-purple leaf color as early as June and maintains it through the season (a much-improved Rotstrahlbusch).

PENNISETUM (Fountain Grass). The plentiful>Hameln is the standard variety, but check out the variations.

alopecuroides. 42".

a. Hameln (Dwarf Fountain Grass). 24-36".

a. Little Bunny. 12-18" miniature.

a. Little Honey. Silver variegated Little Bunny.

Moudry. 30-36". Near-black seed heads, shiny leaves.       Slow to bloom. Takes shade.

orientale Karley Rose. 36-40. Elegant clumps of dark

green,   intense smokey-rose flowers June through frost

 setaceum rubrum (Purple Fountain Grass). 36-48". Too       bad this spectacular grass isn't hardy. So showy, though,       that people willingly treat it as an annual.

 setaceum rubrum Dwarf. Small form. Nice in pots.

PHALARIS (Ribbon Grass). 24-36". Green and white irregularly variegated, invasive grass. In sun it should be cut back in midsummer, as it bleaches and flops. In part shade it is better behaved in both ways, and less invasive. Confine it, or use as a groundcover. A cool>

PHYLLOSTACHYS (Bamboo). For us, this reaches 12 ft. Spreads quite rapidly, so best firmly confined. We are not sure which species this is, probably Yellow Groove.

PLEIOBLASTUS viridistriatum (Variegated Bamboo). 3'. Yellow leaves with variable stripes. Best coloring in sun and good soil.

SASA A broad-leafed bamboo. Limited quantity.

SCHIZACHYRIUM scoparium (Little Blue Stem) is a native American prairie grass suited to dry hills and open woods. It grows to about 3 feet for us. Fine textured leaves are topped by open seed heads; the plants turn a rich red-gold in the Fall. This grass displays very well in drifts. The Blues is a fine cultivar, distinctly blue, and nicely upright, great Fall color.

SCIRPUS (Bullrush). Easy to grow; for wet areas.

  holo. (Head Rush). 20" Flowers July-August.

   lacustris (Albescens). Round stems, cream stripes, 5 ft.

 tabernaemontani Zebrinus (Zebra Rush). 4 ft. Horizontal       gold banding on deep green, narrow leaves.

SESLERIA caerulea (Blue Moor Grass). 6-12". For the sunny rock garden, silver flower in Spring. Sadlerana is grown for its rigid leaves and drought tolerance.

SORGHASTRUM nutans (Indian Grass) was a major tall-grass prairie species. Foliage clumps to 3 ft., with flower heads another 2-3 ft. above the foliage. Sioux Blue has a rich blue-gray foliage color. A wonderful>

SPARTINA pectinata (Prairie Cord Grass), 4-5 ft. Aureomarginata has a very thin gold edge that highlights the broad, green blades. Aggressive spreader used for erosion control. Attractive in dried arrangements.

SPODIOPOGON sibiricus. 48-60". Blooms July and August. Great red Fall foliage.

STIPA tenuissima (Needlegrass,Feathergrass). Beautiful>

TYPHA (Cattail). Besides being attractive in dried arrangements, cattails serve as very efficient filters, grabbing impurities from water. Latifolia is the local common cattail. Minima is only 24"--ideal for a small pool.

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