“Pteridophyllum racemosum,” I replied, thereby landing a privileged internship at New York’s Stonecrop Gardens. My bottomless admiration for woodland plants, of which the said Pteridophyllum is an uncommon example, has consistently repaid. Obscure or mainstream, as delicate as moss or as beefy as a giant hosta, forest-dwelling plants abound. Nowadays, as an urban landscape designer stuck with shady conditions over shadier states, I try to vary my plant colour as far as possible. For this I sometimes rely on choice, slow-growing and hard-to-get herbaceous treasures.
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Japanese Glaucidium
(Glaucidium palmatum)
Amateur peony growers and aficionados of rodgersias will discover common ground from the Japanese Glaucidium (Glaucidium palmatum). At ease in any humus-rich, cool woodland, Glaucidium provides both foliar and floral appeal, with sort of fat pine leaves and large, stripped-down pink corollas. It comes in white, also. Slow yet hardy, hard to find yet reliable, Glaucidium is the perfect choice for dedicated sedentary gardeners.
USDA zones: 3 to 8
Water requirement: Moist soil
Light requirement: Partial to dappled shade
Mature size: 2 1/2 tall and wide
Seasonal interest: Early summer
When to plant: Anytime
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Willow Gentian
(Gentiana asclepiadea)
If whatever has to be blamed for the rarity of the willow-leaved gentian (Gentiana asclepiadea), it’s its slow growth habit. Otherwise, nothing’s difficult about it: Dappled shade is preferred; so is a rich and moist soil. Once established, this gentian grows up then gracefully arches to some striking fountain of strong blue trumpet flowers. A mid- to late-summer bloomer, it fits east-facing boundaries as well as light woodlands.
USDA zones: 4 to 8 (find your zone)
Water requirement: Moist soil
Light requirement: Partial to dappled shade
Mature size: 1 1/2 feet tall and 2 1/2 feet wide
Seasonal interest: Summer
When to plant: Anytime
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Japanese anemonopsis
(Anemonopsis macrophylla)
Even rarer and equally as desirable is that the Japanese anemonopsis (Anemonopsis macrophylla). With healthy foliage resembling that of green bugbane, anemonopsis deploys ethereal sprays of nodding pink bells, curved and waxy. The spectacle is breathtaking, especially when viewed from the side (as is the case on crops grown on a hillside, like in this example in Charlevoix, Quebec).
USDA zones: 4 to 8
Water requirement: Moist soil
Light requirement: Partial to dappled shade
Mature size: 3 feet tall and 2 1/2 feet wide
Seasonal interest: Summer
When to plant: Anytime
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Umbrella Leaf
(Diphylleia cymosa)
Trading finesse for high impact, I sometimes go for a few well-positioned clumps of North American native Umbrella Leaf (Diphylleia cymosa). Employed like a rodgersia would be, Umbrella Leaf adds bold texture among ferns and other delicacies. Additional from discreet white flowers are borne adorable clusters of blue to black fleshy fruits. Umbrella Leaf will surely leave your garden guests wondering.
USDA zones: 4 to 8
Water requirement: Moist soil
Light requirement: Full to partial shade
Mature size: 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide
Seasonal interest: Spring to collapse
When to plant: Anytime
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Mt. Omei Impatiens
(Impatiens omeiana)
Thankfully, not all alternative woodlanders will inflict you with a multiple-year wait. Mt. Omei impatiens (Impatiens omeiana) is a rugged fellow of respectable energy — within a couple of decades it spreads to a sizable and compact colony, with plenty for division. It’s just over a foot in height, and its foliage is velvety green marked with a central gold band. In late summer yellowish flowers add to the show. Introduced over 30 decades back from China, this impatiens deserves wider recognition.
USDA zones: 6 to 9
Water requirement: Moist soil
Light requirement: Full to partial shade
Mature size: 1 1/2 feet tall and 2 1/2 feet wide; spreads
Seasonal interest: Spring to collapse
When to plant: Anytime
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Lady’s Slipper Orchids
(Cypripedium spp and cvs)
No other plant has half the sexual appeal of orchids. At the heart of stories of lust and lure, orchids are in the overall habit precious and desirable. Recent technological advances in tissue culture have marginally democratized the growth of rugged orchids. Purchased from accredited propagators and carefully sited in a glowing woodland, the majority of the Lady’s slippers (Cypripedium spp and cvs) are indeed treasure-like. Hybrids seem easier to develop yet are not cheap to purchase. Here is C. guttatum, photographed in the wilds of Mongolia.
USDA zones: two to 8
Water requirement: Well-drained to moist soil
Light requirement: Partial to dappled shade
Mature size: 1 1/2 tall and wide maximum
Seasonal interest: Early summer
When to plant: Anytime
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Paris Polyphylla
(No frequent name)
With such a name as Paris (Paris polyphylla), this collector’s woodland is a timeless addition to the garden. Its unmatched feminine shape, svelte and elegant, charismatic yet far from loud, embellishes simplistic compositions in moss, ferns and nice sedges. Tough to source, appealing to slugs and in no rush to bulk up, Paris is no foolproof option. Nevertheless it’s so very pretty that I keep advocating it. Who is in?
USDA zones: 7 to 9
Water requirement: Moist soil
Light requirement: Partial to dappled shade
Mature size: 2 1/2 feet tall and 1 1/2 wide
Seasonal interest: Spring to summer
When to plant: Anytime