RARAFLORA 2007
Our nursery is a research station disguised as a business. For decades now we have been browsing the north temperate world for plant material strong enough for our climate and fine enough for our customers.
Is a plant rare because it's hard to find in Nature or because it's seldom offered?
A difficult question. Furthermore, these plants come in varying sizes and limited quantities so please list a second choice. If you just want a good sampling, we'll send you 10 of the best, all different & thus you will have your own 'instant arboretum' for less than $100.
All Raraflora $18 each 5 for $60 10 for $90 (any mix)
FLOWERING SHRUBS
Caragana tangutica
MOUNTAIN PEA SHRUB Z2/3.5m 60-100cm
Tall open shrub from E. Tibet and the roof of Asia. Its green-brown bark exfoliates like that of our Yellow Birch. Withstands cold, wind exposure and steep slopes. Likes full sun. Yellow flowers in late spring.
Caragana turkestanica
TURKISH PEA SHRUB Z3/3m 40-60cm
Drought tolerant toughie from Central Asia. Suitable for xeriscaping and reconditioning poor soils, but like all transplants, it must be watered for two summers to get established. Yellow flowers. Attractive bark & leaves.
Cotoneaster submultiflora
REDBEAD COTONEASTER Z3/2.5m 40-60cm
Arching shrub with gray-green foliage & bright red berries, attractive over many months. Our favorite large cotoneaster. Can be trained into almost any shape. From the Altai Mountains. Prairie hardy.
Eunonymus hamiltonianus
CHINESE SPINDLE TREE Z5/3m 40-80cm
Deciduous shrub or small tree native to Japan & Korea. Very showy in the fall with outstanding reddish-pink foliage. Fruit is deep fuschia with an orange aril and hangs well into winter.
Eunonymus sachalinensis
DANGLE BUSH Z4b/2m 40-80cm
Another rare beautiful offering from that long misty island north of Japan. Sumptuous foliage, brilliant red in fall. Extravagant scarlet fruit. One of the showiest of all shrubs yet easy to grow.
Magnolia salicfolia
WILLOWLEAF MAGNOLIA Z4b/2m SOLD OUT 60-80cm
Introduced from alpine Japan by Sargent in 1892. Named for its aromatic lance-like leaves. Even at an early age snow white flowers cover the whole tree before leaf emergence. Equally amazing seed pods.
Staphylia bumalda
ASIAN BLADDERNUT Z4/2m 60cm
Sounds like a hospital case, but this jaunty little spreader adapts to almost any soil in shade or sun. Interesting seed pods resemble Chinese lanterns. Smaller than our native form of Staphylia.
Viburnum X rhytidophylloides
ALLEGHANY VIBURNUM Z5/1.8m 40-60cm
A cross between the European Wayfaring Bush and the American Leatherleaf Viburnum: the former imparting more hardiness, the latter a longer-lasting leaf. White early summer flowers, red berries that ripen to black. One resides handsomely by our west kitchen door.
All Raraflora $18 each 5 for $60 10 for $90 (any mix)
NUT TREES
Castanea X dentataAMERICA HYBRID CHESTNUT Z4b/12-16m 40-60cm
Destroyed in the late 19th century by an imported blight, the magnificent American Chestnut can now survive only when crossed with its blight-resistant Asian cousin. The resulting hybrid, a sparkling ornamental, gives a generous supply of large edlible nuts protected by a bristly, squirrel proof casing. The re-emergence of this tree could prove economically and spiritually significant.
Juglans cinerea X Juglans ailantifolia
MITCHELL BUARTNUT Z4/13m 1 yr sdl 30-50cm
The Mitchell form is a vigorous hybrid between a selected Butternut and the less hardy Asian Heartnut. A heavy bearer of highly edible, easy-to-crack nuts. Disease resistant and fast growing.
Quercus acutissima
SAWTOOTH OAK Z5?/14m 30cm
Imported from China in 1966 by the USDA as a food source for turkeys and wildlife... hence its new name Gobbler Oak. Unusual wide, globe form. Glossy, serrated leaves cling well into winter. Pest free. Hardiness uncertain.
All Raraflora $18 each 5 for $60 10 for $90 (any mix)
BE SOMEBODY : PLANT HICKORY
Can your estate be quite complete without a few giant hickories dotted about? These aristocratic hardwoods seldom reach the landscape trade because of a difficult-to-dig, single-minded tap root which in early life grows many times longer than the tree's trunk. We've now developed a way to grow and package these curious seedlings. But be patient. They don't show much the first few years, then: Bingo, jump out of the way!
No trees at Golden Bough give us more pleasure than our stately hickories, hence we have always wondered why they were so rarely found in parks. Recently, however, during our seed-picking circuit, it was a great and pleasant surprise to find freshly planted shag and shellbark hickories in three seperate arboretums. Indeed, at Geneva's serene Botanic Gardens our proud young natives have been sited - guess where - on either side of the main entrance!
Carya cordiformisBITTERNUT HICKORY Z4b/18m 40-60cm
Hardiest of the hickories, recognized by its lemon-yellow winter buds. Must be transplanted young. Nuts are eaten by wildlife but not preferred. Settlers used to cold press the nuts to obtain an olive-like oil. A good lumber tree, the wood often used for axe handles & wheel parts.
Carya laciniosa
SHELLBARK HICKORY Z4?/18m 1 yr sdl 20-30cm
Though native to rich, lowland soils from S.W. Ontario to Iowa, these handsome giants flourish on our glacial till. Sometimes called Kingnut, its variable seed can be as large as walnuts and just as edible. Beautiful leaves and buds. Likes water nearby and will even tolerate seasonal flooding.
Carya ovata
SHAGBARK HICKORY Z4?/17m 1 yr sdl 20cm
Distinguished shade tree with shaggy bark. Rarely offered because of lengthy tap root. Named PocoHicora for the rich milk Indians extracted from the crushed nuts by boiling. Nuts attractive to wildlife. A fine Shagbark Hickory can be seen on John A. MacDonald's lawn in Kingston, ON.
All Raraflora $18 each 5 for $60 10 for $90 (any mix)
ASIAN SHADE TREES
Acer miyabei
MIYABE MAPLE Z5/12m 60-100cm
This robust medium-sized maple from Japan resembles the globe form of Norway Maple but has smaller, dark, incised leaves; yellow in fall. Difficult to germinate. We know of only one tree in all of E. Canada.
Betula middendorffii
MIDDENDORF BIRCH Z4/4m 80-100cm
Unusual curly-twigged reddish-barked shrub from S.E. Siberia. Our seed came from a tree in Montreal's Jardin Botanique, where Canada's best collection of birch reside.
Celtis sinesis
CHINESE HACKBERRY Z4/13m 60-80cm
In terms of human evolution this is the most significant tree we offer, its fruit having been eaten by Peking Man some 200,000 years ago. This seldom offered Chinese species shares the drought tolerance, corky bark and Elm-like form of its American cousin. Very much a collector's item.
MAACKIA AMURENSIS Z4/15m 60-80cm
All-round, hardy small shade tree from N.E. Asia with shiny bronze bark. Interesting specimen trees. Non-invasive roots fix nitrogen. Cream flower clusters push above the attractive pinnate leaves. Pollution tolerant.
All Raraflora $18 each 5 for $60 10 for $90 (any mix)
NATIVES
Ilex laevigata
SMOOTH WINTERBERRY Z4/2.2m 30-50cm
Though Ilex thrives in our local marshes, it will grow just as well on any slightly acidic soil (no higher than pH 6). Holds its bright orange/red berries well into winter. Male and female flowers on separate bushes so a few plants are needed to ensure pollination.
Sorbus cascadensis
CASCADE MOUNTAIN ASH Z4?/4m 60-120cm
From the rain slopes of our Pacific coast, this small, dark-leafed ornamental bears humungous clusters of vermillion berries. Graceful yet hardy. Shade tolerant. The parent seed came from Montreal's remarkable Jardin Botanique.
Viburnum prunifolium
BLACKHAW Z3/3.5m 80-100cm
A large shrub or small tree with plum-like leaves. Big white flower clusters in late May. Bright red fruit turns blue-black & sweetens with frost. Good fresh or preserved.
Viburnum rafinusquianum
DOWNY ARROWWOOD Z3/1.5m SOLD OUT 40-80cm
A handsome and reliable shrub with profuse blooms in late May, early June. Edible blue-black oval fruit. Native to S.W. Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba.
All Raraflora $18 each 5 for $60 10 for $90 (any mix)
EVERGREENS
Abies lasiocarpaALPINE FIR Z3/15m 10-20cm
Those stately, dark woods around alpine lakes in the Rockies consist mainly of Alpine Fir. A similar cluster around an eastern wetland always attracts attention. Narrow spine-like form.
Picea koraiensis
KOREAN SPRUCE Z4/15m 20cm
The following description comes from the learned nurseryman, David Lawyer: "extremely rare ornamental Spruce; narrowly pyramidal in habit with horizontal branches uplifted at tips. Exfoliating bark." You'll not find this at Canadian Tire.
Picea jezonensis ssp. hondoensis
YEDDO SPRUCE Z3/12m 20-40cm
Needles silver-white above, glossy dark-green below. Decorative cones. From the Japanese Alps. Tight, natural Christmas tree form suitablke to landscapers. An unusual & sparkling presence.
All Raraflora $18 each 5 for $60 10 for $90 (any mix)
Pinus aristata
BRISTLECONE PINE Z4? 10-20cm
Oldest thing alive; some survive 6000 years in the Sierras. Definite conversation piece. Size varies from 1.5m to 6m depending on severity of climate.
Pinus koraiensis
KOREAN PINE Z4/12m 20cm
One of the handsomest of the Asian White Pines, its pistachio-sized seeds can be eaten raw or pressed for high quality oil. Slow growing, attractive ornamental.
Pinus monticola
WESTERN WHITE PINE Z4/16m 20-50cm
More drought tolerant and less spreading in form than eastern White Pine. Needles long, slender and flexible, bluish-green in tight bunches. Disease resistant. Excellent Christmas tree or lawn specimen.
Pinus ponderosa
PONDEROSA PINE Z4?/20m 10-30cm
Weighty western giant of great vigour & drought resistance when established. Important B.C. lumber tree. Fluffy sea-green needles and cinnamon bark.
Pinus thunbergii
JAPANESE BLACK PINE Z5b/11m 20-40cm SOLD OUT
Medium-sized, salt tolerant. A Japanese version of our own Group of Seven shore pines. Always looks a bit windblown. One of the classic bonsai subjects from the Inland Sea.
All Raraflora $18 each 5 for $60 10 for $90 (any mix)