Juniper Level Botanic Garden https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/ Fri, 16 Jan 2026 15:55:46 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://i0.wp.com/www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/JLBG-favicon.png?fit=26%2C26&ssl=1 Juniper Level Botanic Garden https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/ 32 32 227477898 Golden Eggs in the Garden https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/golden-eggs-in-the-garden/ https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/golden-eggs-in-the-garden/#comments Sun, 18 Jan 2026 12:45:00 +0000 https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/?p=35592 Looking rather nice in the garden in mid-winter is the yellow-fruited, Rohdea japonica ‘Golden Eggs’. We’re now on our third generation, and have been please to find that all of our offspring that have fruited so far, come true to color from seed. We picked up our original plant a Japanese auction over a decade

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]]> Looking rather nice in the garden in mid-winter is the yellow-fruited, Rohdea japonica ‘Golden Eggs’. We’re now on our third generation, and have been please to find that all of our offspring that have fruited so far, come true to color from seed. We picked up our original plant a Japanese auction over a decade ago. We hope within the next year or two to finally have enough to share. Zone 6a-10b. Be sure to check out our current availability of Rohdea.

Rohdea japonica ‘Golden Eggs

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]]> https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/golden-eggs-in-the-garden/feed/ 2 35592 Join the No-meatballs Club https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/join-the-no-meatballs-club/ https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/join-the-no-meatballs-club/#comments Sat, 17 Jan 2026 12:45:00 +0000 https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/?p=35548 It’s been almost five years, since I extolled the virtues of the amazing Juniperus chinensis ‘Kaizuka’. If you’re a card carrying member of the plant-butchering, meatballs-r-us crowd, this is not your plant. Sadly, because this introduction from Japan’s Yokohama Nursery, prior to 1920 is so widely used in industrial plantings, many keen plantspeople also dismiss

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]]> It’s been almost five years, since I extolled the virtues of the amazing Juniperus chinensis ‘Kaizuka’. If you’re a card carrying member of the plant-butchering, meatballs-r-us crowd, this is not your plant. Sadly, because this introduction from Japan’s Yokohama Nursery, prior to 1920 is so widely used in industrial plantings, many keen plantspeople also dismiss it as being too common, instead of giving it credit for being a tough, architecturally-fascinating selection. Our oldest plants at JLBG are now 38 years old, and now measure 24′ tall x 16′ wide. The one pictured below is a new 9 year old planting in a newer section of the garden.

Juniperus chinensis ‘Kaizuka’

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]]> https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/join-the-no-meatballs-club/feed/ 3 35548 See the Sea of Japan https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/see-the-sea-of-japan/ https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/see-the-sea-of-japan/#respond Fri, 16 Jan 2026 12:45:00 +0000 https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/?p=35330 We just snapped this image of our clump of Aucuba japonica var. borealis ‘Sea of Japan’. In parts of the county where typical Aucuba japonica isn’t winter hardy, this tetraploid subspecies may be worth a try. This subspecies hails from one of coldest regions of coastal Japan, in northern Honshu, where it’s subject to an

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]]> We just snapped this image of our clump of Aucuba japonica var. borealis ‘Sea of Japan’. In parts of the county where typical Aucuba japonica isn’t winter hardy, this tetraploid subspecies may be worth a try. This subspecies hails from one of coldest regions of coastal Japan, in northern Honshu, where it’s subject to an average yearly snowfall of 20 feet. When it’s not covered by snow, it’s subjected to extremely cold coastal winds. All of the clones of Aucuba japonica var. borealis we’ve grown are very compact, dwarf plants, with a maximum height of 2-3′ tall. Aucuba ‘Sea of Japan’ is a splendid male selection. This Cliff Parks collection was introduced by Camellia Forest Nursery in 2006.

Aucuba japonica var. borealis ‘Sea of Japan’

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]]> https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/see-the-sea-of-japan/feed/ 0 35330 Lovely Liara https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/lovely-liara/ https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/lovely-liara/#comments Thu, 15 Jan 2026 18:36:16 +0000 https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/?p=35542 Flowering for us, just after the Christmas rose, Helleborus niger, are the Helleborus x lemperi group. These hybrids represent crosses between Helleborus niger, which only comes in white flowers, and the slightly later group of Helleborus x hybridus, which come in a range of colors. These sterile hybrids flower with, or slightly after the Christmas

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]]> Flowering for us, just after the Christmas rose, Helleborus niger, are the Helleborus x lemperi group. These hybrids represent crosses between Helleborus niger, which only comes in white flowers, and the slightly later group of Helleborus x hybridus, which come in a range of colors. These sterile hybrids flower with, or slightly after the Christmas rose. Below is Helleborus x lemperi ‘Liara’ in the garden today. Unlike Helleborus x hybridus, all lemperi hybrids are sterile. Hardiness Zone 4b-8a.

Helleborus x lemperi ‘Liara’

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]]> https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/lovely-liara/feed/ 1 35542 The Value of Silver is Rising https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/the-value-of-silver-is-rising/ https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/the-value-of-silver-is-rising/#comments Wed, 14 Jan 2026 12:45:00 +0000 https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/?p=35536 Looking great in the winter woodland garden is our specimen of Cyclamen hederifolium ‘Fine Silver’. Most silver leaf seedlings still have markings of green, but that’s not the case on this gem. These come reasonably pure within a range, so let’s hope we’re able to gather seed this year. Dry soils during the summer dormant

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]]> Looking great in the winter woodland garden is our specimen of Cyclamen hederifolium ‘Fine Silver’. Most silver leaf seedlings still have markings of green, but that’s not the case on this gem. These come reasonably pure within a range, so let’s hope we’re able to gather seed this year. Dry soils during the summer dormant season is the key to success with Cyclamen hederifolium. Hardiness Zone 4a-8b.

Cyclamen hederifolium ‘Fine Silver’

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]]> https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/the-value-of-silver-is-rising/feed/ 1 35536 Take a Walk on the Wild Side https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/take-a-walk-on-the-wild-side/ https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/take-a-walk-on-the-wild-side/#comments Tue, 13 Jan 2026 12:45:00 +0000 https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/?p=35339 If you’re a member of the clipped hedge crowd, you can stop reading this blog now. Because we enjoy a more naturalistic look, we never shear any woody plants at JLBG. We find the diversity of shapes and forms of plants to be fascinating, and worthy of embracing, instead of making them conform to a

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]]> If you’re a member of the clipped hedge crowd, you can stop reading this blog now. Because we enjoy a more naturalistic look, we never shear any woody plants at JLBG. We find the diversity of shapes and forms of plants to be fascinating, and worthy of embracing, instead of making them conform to a single standard. While some plants have a natural clipped form, one that does not, is this selection of our native yaupon holly, Ilex vomitoria ‘Gray’s Little Leaf’. This male selection from the O. S. Gray Nursery (1932-1986) of Texas, has extremely small foliage, which, combined with an upright, open growing habit, creates a truly unique specimen. It’s hard to show it well in a photo, but this really is a cool garden specimen. Hardiness Zone 6b-9b.

Ilex vomitoria ‘Gray’s Little Leaf’

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]]> https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/take-a-walk-on-the-wild-side/feed/ 4 35339 Persian Peals https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/persian-peals/ https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/persian-peals/#respond Mon, 12 Jan 2026 12:45:00 +0000 https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/?p=35344 In 2015, one of our crazy plant explorer friends, mentioned that he was heading to Iran to botanize for for plants. The first thing that popped into my mind, was my long-standing quest to acquire some wild documented poet’s laurel, Danae racemosa. Surprisingly, he was able locate fruiting plants from the Mazandaran region, just north

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]]> In 2015, one of our crazy plant explorer friends, mentioned that he was heading to Iran to botanize for for plants. The first thing that popped into my mind, was my long-standing quest to acquire some wild documented poet’s laurel, Danae racemosa. Surprisingly, he was able locate fruiting plants from the Mazandaran region, just north of Tehran. As a sidenote, for those, who haven’t studied world history in a while, Persia officially changed it’s name in 1935 to Iran.

The resulting seedlings from the seed we received, are now a decade old, and just starting to develop into nice garden plants. The foliage on the Iranian material is somewhat narrower than the old pass-along material, which is of unknown origin. The other interesting difference is that the Iranian collections have mostly solitary stalks that measure up to 5′ long, compared to the typical 3′ of the typically cultivated material. It appears that the cultivated material, which has been widely grown in Europe for the cut flower trade, as Italian ruscus, since the 1920s, is from genetics which form compact, well-branched, good fruiting plants. Our plants are just beginning to produce a small number of fruit, but we hope the quantities will continue to increase as the plants age.

Danae racemosa Mazandaran, Iran

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]]> https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/persian-peals/feed/ 0 35344 Moonlit Lace on a Moonlit Night https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/moonlit-lace-on-a-moonlit-night/ https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/moonlit-lace-on-a-moonlit-night/#comments Sun, 11 Jan 2026 12:45:00 +0000 https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/?p=35292 I was admiring our specimen of Viburnum ‘Moonlit Lace’ the other evening, and wanted to upate our previous post about its mature size. It’s still being touted on-line as maturing at 3-4′ tall x wide, which simply isn’t the case. This 9 year old specimen is currently 7′ tall x 12′ wide. Based on the

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]]> I was admiring our specimen of Viburnum ‘Moonlit Lace’ the other evening, and wanted to upate our previous post about its mature size. It’s still being touted on-line as maturing at 3-4′ tall x wide, which simply isn’t the case. This 9 year old specimen is currently 7′ tall x 12′ wide. Based on the growth rate we’re still seeing, we expect it to mature about 1/3 larger than its current size, so we recommend a screening rate of one plant per non-running car in your neighbor’s yard. Three years ago, after our plant outgrew our original location, it was cut back by half and moved, so it would have most likely been larger, had that not occurred. As a reminder, none of our garden plants ever receive any chemical fertilizers. We still love this hybrid between Viburnum tinus x davidii, but it’s a beast in the garden, so site it appropriately. During the growing season, the foliage is dark green, but it turns a very dark purple during cold weather. Hardiness is Zone 7a-9b.

Viburnum ‘Moonlit Lace’

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]]> https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/moonlit-lace-on-a-moonlit-night/feed/ 3 35292 Weeping makes us Jump for Joy https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/weeping-makes-us-jump-for-joy/ https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/weeping-makes-us-jump-for-joy/#respond Sat, 10 Jan 2026 12:45:00 +0000 https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/?p=35319 A little known conifer that’s one of our garden favorites, is Cupressus (Hesperocyparis) arizonica ‘Raywood’s Weeping’. We’re limited conifer-wise, compared to the Pacific Northwest, so we were thrilled to find such a superb weeping silver-blue foliaged, North American native, that thrives in our hot, humid climate. It can be staked as high as you’d like,

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]]> A little known conifer that’s one of our garden favorites, is Cupressus (Hesperocyparis) arizonica ‘Raywood’s Weeping’. We’re limited conifer-wise, compared to the Pacific Northwest, so we were thrilled to find such a superb weeping silver-blue foliaged, North American native, that thrives in our hot, humid climate. It can be staked as high as you’d like, but our plant pictured below is grown unstaked. This gem originated in 1960 as a seedling at Australia’s Raywood Nursery, and was eventually introduced commercially, in the mid 1980s. Hardiness is Zone 5b-9a, at least.

Cupressus (Hesperocyparis) arizonica ‘Raywood’s Weeping’

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]]> https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/weeping-makes-us-jump-for-joy/feed/ 0 35319 Split Personality https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/split-personality/ https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/split-personality/#respond Fri, 09 Jan 2026 12:45:00 +0000 https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/?p=35285 Over the last decade, we’ve grown a large number of cast iron plants from seed, and due to the diversity of plants in our collection (228 unique taxa), the diversity of seedlings have also been quite astonishing. Below is the latest seedling of Aspidistra elatior, that we found worthy of the name, Aspidistra ‘Split Personality’.

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]]> Over the last decade, we’ve grown a large number of cast iron plants from seed, and due to the diversity of plants in our collection (228 unique taxa), the diversity of seedlings have also been quite astonishing. Below is the latest seedling of Aspidistra elatior, that we found worthy of the name, Aspidistra ‘Split Personality’. The foliage has two different types of streaking, as well as leaf spots. It still needs a few more years of trials, but if those go well, we’ll start chopping on it, so we can share one day.

Aspidistra ‘Split Personality’

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]]> https://www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org/split-personality/feed/ 0 35285