Plants

Plant Description

Plant descriptions and related information are a generalization pulled from different sources and personal experiences. The size of the plants are basically at close to mature size with proper growing conditions. Plant size in general has to do with the plant, growing conditions, pruning, and time. The customer should really think how long the plant needs or can be in the location. I can say how big the plant might be in ten years and yet it might be twice that large in 50 years which I believe should not factor into the plant purchase, as in 50 years one will probably not care what size the plant is.

A white variegated abelia with tinges pink on new growth. It is supposed to be 3' x 4' with pink flowers and needs at least half day sun.

This is the nicest of all the white flowering abelias that I have ever grown which have been quite a few. It grows to a reasonable size 4' x 4' and has good winter leaf retention. It blooms late summer for me and the nicest effect are the pink sepals which follow. It does best in half day to full sun. This seems to be a winner.

Another one of the variegated abelias. This plant has good winter leaf retention and stays in the 3' x 4' range. I would almost consider this one evergreen most winters.

This plant used to be high on my small tree list but it seems to struggle in the heat of the south as it has winter die back. I am told it is due to vigor loss in summer. It does best in part shade to mostly sun with adequate moisture. Paperbarks grow to 20' or more after many years. Like the name implies the best characteristic is its exfoliating bark which it does at a young age. The tree has good orange to red fall color.

We raise many varieties of Acer palmatum, The varieties come and go due to graft limitations. Varieties we usually have in stock are Aka Kawa Hime, Beni Maoki, Bloodgood, Beni Kawa, Coonara Pygmy, Enkan, Hubb's Red Willow, Kiyohime, Little Red, Muresaki Kiyohime, Orangeola, Purple Ghost, Red Filigree Lace, Summer Gold, Twombley's Red Sentinel, Tamukeyama, Viridis, Seiryu, and others at times. They can range from two to twenty feet tall, green to red leaves, and various fall colors. Most Japanese maples would love half day sun but some need more to bring out color and some less. They are really limitless in form and color.

This native shrub can grow to 6' to 8' tall and wide but can be somewhat maintained. It is stoloniferous and can slowly get fairly wide. A good pollinator with 12" spikes of white bottlebrush flowers in late spring. This plant occurs naturally as an understory but in cultivation it has the capacity to bloom in full sun to total shade.

This is a small 15' tree native to eastern N.C. It blooms in April with 6" long panicles and is the first plant the hummingbirds go to. It leafed out early and is the first plant to shed its leaves in late summer. It likes part shade but with adequate moisture can handle full sun.

Upright clumps of 18" dark green leaves that spread by underground rhizomes. This plant is drought tolerant and needs partial shade with no winter sun. A good north side of building filler plant.

A large leaved 4' by 4' plant with speckled variegated leaves. This plant needs protection from winter sun and grows well in the shade.

A large leaved 5' by 5' plant with a nice speckled variegated pattern. The leaves are longer than the dwarf one we grow This plant needs protection from winter sun and grows well in the shade.

One of the Southern Indica azaleas that are large growing 6' by 8' to fill a plant bed or create a part shade screen. Large orchid pink flowers can cover this vintage plant.

One of the few perennials that we grow. This plant needs full sun or close to it to do well. They can get to be 3' by 3' with age. The flowers are soft yellow to a bluish purple depending on variety. This plant is also deer proof. A good flower bed addition. It blooms in spring for two weeks or so.

A 2' by 3' dwarf red leafed barberry that can add some summer color to a sunny location. Low maintenance plant that the deer will leave alone.

I have grown so many butterfly bushes through the years. They come and go like a gentle breeze changing little. The ones we have now are Royal Red which is a 5' by 6' plant with magenta blooms. The others are a dwarf series called Buzz. They can be kept in check to about 3' with an annual pruning. Deer proof and a continuous blooming summer shrub have made these plants loved. Their only drawback is a 5 to 10 year lifespan before they become too woody and split .

One of the korean crosses that stays small and keeps good winter color. It does best with some shade and is a very slow growing rounded plant to probably 3' x 3'. All boxwoods the deer seem to leave alone.

A slow growing plant to about 3' that needs some shade and good moisture for its best appearance.

We grow several cultivars of the cephalotaxus. This one is the largest at 6' x 10' though it would take 20 years from a cutting to attain that size. They seem to do best in part sun though they can handle full sun. Deer resistant and a nice texture make these plants very useful.

A slow growing conifer to 4' x 6' after 15 years. This plant like all the false yews is deer resistant and does well in part shade and tolerates full sun . A superb plant as an accent or small hedge.

This cephalotaxus will mature at 8' x 5' and can be sheared some to make a hedge or used as an upright accent plant.

One of the most popular plants we sell as it can fill a lot of niches. An extremely slow growing plant in youth that will get 2' x 4' in 15 years. This plant is extremely adaptive to conditions. It prefers part shade but yet I see it thriving in full sun at university plantings. It can handle a fairly dry location and is deer resistant.

This upright yellow needled cephalotaxus grows slowly to around 6' x 4' in 15 years. It needs about half day sun to promote good color. Probably best used as a specimen or background plant.

A multistemmed tree to about 12' and about the same width that is covered with rose purple flowers in early spring. A beautiful specimen for any landscape that does best in half to full sun. This particular cultivar does not produce seed pods which some people might find undesirable.

A multistemmed shrub to about 8' and about the same width that is covered with rose purple flowers in early spring. A beautiful specimen for any landscape that does best in half to full sun. This particular cultivar does not produce seed pods which some people might find undesirable.

This is a dwarf quince to probably about 2' x 4'. It is a good filler plant that blooms well in late winter and has a few blooms late fall and warm spells during the winter.

A real gem of a small plant. This is the smallest of the falsecypresses that we grow. It gets to be a 3' x 3' plant in ten years. This obtusa has rounder foliage compared to the flat sprays of most cultivars. It likes full sun.

This large growing conifer has yellow foliage and can be 6' in ten years and grow to 30' x 10'. This plant is a copy of a cultivar named 'Cripsii' but is supposed to handle southern heat better.(I see no difference) It can be a large sun specimen or I have seen it pruned to be more shrub like for many years.

A very slow growing conifer that can reach 6' x 4' in twenty years. This pyramidal evergreen can be a beautiful specimen and prefers mostly sun to full sun.

A slow growing Hinoki that grows in a globose form to probably 4' x 5' after many years. A different shaped Hinoki that is interesting in its form. Needs part sun to full sun.

One of my favorite plants that I deal with. This pyramidal conifer has yellow new growth that is interestingly crested and varies from limb to limb. It will get to be 6' in 10-12 years and possibly can get to 8' or larger in many years. This plant needs most to full sun and makes a striking specimen or a corner foundation plant. A one of a kind.

One of the faster growing dwarf Hinoki cypress which can get to be 6' x 4' in 10 years. All the chamaecyparis I grow prefer full sun though can do well in 3/4 sun also. This pyramidal grower has the graceful oriental look with dark green foliage most people link with the Hinokis

A mainly globose grower that can get to be 6' in ten years. This plant can be pruned to control it though it is not the small plant most people use it for. It does best with a lot of sun to bring out its color.

A native 15' x 15' tree that prefers half day to full sun. It has clusters of white strap like flowers in late spring. Some references this tree to be America's best flowering tree.

A male clone with supposedly larger flowers that I acquired a few cuttings of though doubt I will continue to grow as they propagate poorly.

A 3' deciduous plant that grows in half to three quarter shade areas. Species is native to this area and grows along stream banks. It has 8 inch spikes of white bottlebrush flowers in late spring. This plant can spread some by suckering but is not invasive. This plant is nondescript to me except for being a great pollinator. Every year it has insects on it that I have never seen.

We grow a few varieties of this dogwood different years as acquired stock plants. My favorite is 'Milky Way' a 15' x 15' heavy flowering cultivar though not the fastest grower. Also have 'Green Sleeves', and 'Scarlet Fire' a real pink kousa. Like our native dogwood it prefers half to three quarter sun but with watering can handle full sun.

An 8' x 10' plant with time. It has interesting branch structure, chartreuse colored leaves and yellow drooping flowers. This is my favorite plant in my garden and I wish I could propagate them better so everyone with enough space could have one. A plant for all seasons with its zigzag stem structure.

This is the smallest of the Japanese cedars that we grow. It can be 3' by 5' in ten years and continue. I find it a tough small conifer for the garden and a must if you have the space and the sun.

An elegant upright conifer to 6' by 6' in ten years to eventually 15' by 10'. My favorite of the cedars. I had a 30 year specimen the snow a few years back destroyed. I had so much joy watching songbirds literally disappearing into it flying full speed to nest or for protection.

A smaller growing cedar probably to 4' by 4' in ten years. It seems to do better in part sun than the others though this cultivar has some reversions that need to be pruned out as it ages though not an issue.

An elegant plant with arching branches that can grow to 3' x 4'. This plant needs shade and is very slow growing. It has reddish orange berries in the fall which give it extra appeal. A real must for a shade garden.

Distyliums are a recent plant addition to take the place of cherry laurels that were plagued with disease. They are related to witchhazels and have very small red flowers late winter. They are planted everywhere but look best in part sun albeit half day is best. Blue Cascade is listed as 5' by 5' but will probably get larger though can be pruned.

Cinnamon Girl is a smaller variety and my favorite of the released cultivars. They all have a layered growing habit and this one might get 3' by 5'. All the cultivars seem to be rapid growers.

A lovely bulb for sunny spots in the garden. It has 12-16 inch strap like foliage that emerge dark purple fade to green in summer and new growth during late summer after blooming is dark again. The bloom resembles a pineapple and has some interest though foliage is the appeal. Interestingly it is the only plant I grow from leaf cuttings.

Ferns in general like shady conditions with good soil moisture. They are limitless in variety. The ones we grow are in the 12" to 18" range. The painted ferns die back but have beautiful foliage and can spread in a damp area. The other two are evergreen with their own distinct features.

A plant your grandmother might have had. 6' by 8' plant with stems that are covered with yellow cheery flowers. Best as a backdrop in a full sun planting area.

An interesting native plant growing to 5' by 5' . It has nice textured blue green leaves with 2" long bottlebrush white flowers in April.

One of the many gardenia cultivars. This one is a large 6' by 6' shrub with large double white flowers during the summer.

A dwarf 3' by 5' double flowered cultivar developed by local plantsman Phil Dark. A nice smaller variety. Gardenias prefer part sun environments.

The nicest foliage of all the gardenias in my opinion. It resembles a nice tidy azalea with an explosion of single white flowers that grows to 4' by 4'. Only issue is it holds its dead flowers on for some time.

A groundcover type 1' x 4' of gardenia that needs good drainage and some winter protection. At one time hardiness was considered an issue but global warming is correcting that.

The standard of full size ginkgo trees. It is a large tree 50' with beautiful yellow fall color. The leaves are a unique fan shape. Ginkgos are an old tree existing for millions of years ago from before the time of dinosaurs. I always get a laugh out of telling young kids that these trees lived with the dinosaurs and realize from their reaction that they think the tree I am pointing to was of that time.

A dwarf gingko tree that could be considered a large shrub. Maybe to 6' tall but unknown to me. A plant of interest.

The standard of hellebores. Ours are the Pine Knot selection with a variety of colors. In a shady moist area they can be invasive with seedlings though not in my yard. A deer resistant shade plant that is great for a difficult spot and a gardener with brown thumbs.

A shade perennial of so many sizes and colors. The ones we have get about a foot and have variegated foliage. Careful as they are deer fodder.

A native hydrangea with 8" cone shaped flower panicles in late spring. The oakleaf hydrangeas prefer part to mostly shade. I have see\n them blooming in fairly deep shade though they are leggy. This cultivar can get to be 8' by 8'. Beautiful fall color but beware as deer love them.

This oakleaf hydrangea grows to about 5' with the flowers fading to a nice pink color hence the name.

The typical big leaf hydrangea with large globose flowers. These also prefer part shade. These bloom on new wood so avoid some of the late freeze issues. This plant grows to about 4' by4'.

A 4' x 6' sun loving plant that has bright yellow needle coloration on the new growth. Like all junipers tough and fairly deer resistant.

One of the 'waaay' too many cultivars of loropetalums. This is one of the smaller ones at 4' x 5'. They have beautiful pink strap like flowers in the spring and burgundy foilage in the spring. This plant likes mostly sun to full sun and can fill many needs in the landscape. A nice cultivar.

A 25' dwarf? southern magnolia. Really the only southern magnolia for most yards due to its smaller statue. This plant blooms at a very young age and is a fairly vigorous grower. It needs at least half day sun and full is best. A truly beautifully fragrant flower which I love to inhale.

A truly interesting native magnolia possessing huge leaves and flowers. A small shrub like tree which is best grown in part shade though can handle full sun. It grows probably to about 20' and should be a must for any plant collector with enough space.

A slower growing magnolia tree maybe reaching 20' in many years. This stellata was bred for its multiple petaled white flowers which bloom in late winter. A nice specimen plant for part sun to full sun locations though flowers can be damaged by a late freeze so best to avoid wide open location though mine is and is rarely damaged.

One of the 'Little Girl Hybrids' from the U.S. Arboretum in the mid 1950's. Jane is a shrubby small tree growing somewhat quickly to about 15' to 20'. It needs part to full sun for good flowering. Flowers are purple on the outside and white inside though the best appeal is the purple candle effect before they start to open in the spring.

A coarse 6' x 6' evergreen shrub that prefers part sun to shade. It suckers up from the base like a nandina so cutting canes back can control height. Yellow flowers appear in late winter followed by blue fruit in summer. A plant I disliked except for honeybee attraction at bloom time though has regained popularity since deer will not browse it.

A truly versatile shrub for sun or shade with canes coming up from the ground forming a 6' x 4' plant. Red emerging new growth with white flowers late spring followed by red berries in winter which make good Christmas decorations.

A compact mounding form growing to about 2' x 2' which does best in 3/4 to full sun. It has a nice red color throughout the winter with enough sun. Nandinas as a group are tough plants.

A large evergreen shrub growing to 15' x 15' over many years and I have seen it maintained at every height. This plant is greatly deer resistant and can provide a nice screen from part sun to full sun. Tiny fragrant white flowers are produced in the fall to add to its appeal.

One of the parents of Osmanthus fortunei. This plant is supposed to get even taller than fortunei though I have not seen one this far north in its range. The foilage is not as dark and with less serration and marginal spines. The flowers last longer than fortunei and smell better though the plants at the nursery are less vigorous.

A nicely variegated plant that handles part shade to full sun. It grows to about 5' x 4' after several years. This deer resistant plant makes a good smaller accent plant.

A slow growing dwarf spruce eventually getting 3' x 5' after an eternity. They do best in part shade and form a dense flat round specimen. I had one that was about 2' x 4' after 15 years that died from drought. A word to the wise, most conifers when young cannot be allowed to go really dry. They do not wilt, they die or suffer die back and since they grow so slow it is best to put some water on them when we go into a drought.