Yuletide Plantings, Part 2

The legend of the Christmas Rose tells the story of a young shepherdess who wanted to bring a gift to the newly-born Christ Child.  Too poor to afford something grand and luxurious and unable to find even the simplest flower blooming in the dead of winter, she began to weep.  An angel witnessed her distress and took pity.  Miraculously, a plant emerged where her tears touched the ground, and she was able to present its beautiful white flowers to the Baby Jesus.

Of course, the Christmas Rose represents renewed hope, the triumph of grace and mercy over sin and death, and the purity of Jesus and Mary themselves.  Think of the German hymn, Es Ist ein Ros Entsprungen, or its English rendition, Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming, which is usually sung between Christmas Eve and the Epiphany.

In Victorian and modern decorations, the Christmas Rose is often depicted as an almost perfect Tea blossom, sometimes pristine white, sometimes rosy pink, but the plant of lore was most likely Helleborus niger – an evergreen perennial, native to Central Europe and part of the Buttercup family.  Cultivated since ancient times and cherished in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the flowers of Helleborus niger do look like native European species of the Rose.

Two Dog Roses on a Stem and a Lackey Moth Caterpillar
French watercolor, c. 1575, by Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues
from the permanent collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

However, I’ve never seen any Hellebore bloom at Christmas, at least not around here.  They usually refresh themselves about a month later… sprouting new growth and unfurling their faces, shiny white with lots of yellow stamens, and tinges of pink or acid green, that blush as they age.  I can see why they are often linked with St. Agnes of Rome, as a symbol of innocence and renewal, and in celebration of her Feast Day on January 21.

And let’s face it.  Anything that flowers in the middle of winter is a miracle!

We are lucky to have Pine Knot Farms, one of the premiere growers and breeders of Hellebores, right here in Virginia, and they offer several cultivars of the Christmas Rose and great guidance for growing all species of Helleborus.

The star-like Helleborus niger 'Double Fantasy',

Hellebores have gained popularity in recent years for their relatively-easy care, deer-resistant foliage and drought tolerance.  In general, they are happiest in well-drained soil and partial shade in Zones 4-9.  The most spectacular tend to be interspecies hybrids.

H. x ballardiae 'Cinnamon Snow',

 

H. x hybridus 'Peppermint Ice' and

H. x hybridus 'Shirley's Snow Stars' are all grown at Pine Knot Farms.

Pine Knot Farms is hosting the second half of their annual open house, today and Sunday.  But they also attend plant sales and festivals throughout the Mid-Atlantic, so don’t worry if you can’t make it to Southside Virginia this weekend.

I love cranberries and can eat them any time in any place.  But that bright, tart flavor, often combined with lots of sugar, nuts and a touch of orange or lemon, is most associated with Thanksgiving and Christmas, when the cranberry harvest is coming to an end.

The Cranberry is a low, creeping shrub in the Ericaceae or Heath family and grows naturally in cool, acidic marshes throughout the Northern Hemisphere.  It’s my understanding that all true Cranberries, including Vaccinium oxycoccos (Small Cranberry), native to the northern reaches of the continent and as far south as Idaho and Virginia, and Vaccinium erythrocarpum (Southern Mountain Cranberry), at home in the Southern Appalachians and looking much more like a Blueberry at about 5’ tall, with deciduous leaves and deep carmine berries, are indigenous to North America… although, some of these same species flourish in northern Europe and Asia.

The scientific nomenclature for Cranberry can get tricky.  For example, Vaccinium microcarpum, often called Bog or Small Cranberry, is sometimes listed as its own species, native to Europe, as well as, Alaska and Canada, but the USDA considers it synonymous with V. oxycoccos.  Cranberrry can be identified as subgenus Oxycoccus instead of genus Vaccinium.  So in reading and shopping, you may find the same V. oxycoccos described as Oxycoccus microcarpos or O. palustris.  And a plant like Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. ssp. minus, commonly known as Northern Mountain Cranberry, is actually an American subspecies of Ligonberry, native to New England, the Upper Midwest and Canada.  Close, but not really a Cranberry.  And more than a tad confusing.

Vaccinium macrocarpon 'Stevens' from Edible Landscaping

Here’s what I think is important to know:
The Cranberry has been a vital part of the American diet and culture for millennia;
It thrives naturally in the aforementioned habitat, especially where glacial deposits have left layers of sand and peat;
Vaccinium macrocarpon, also known as Large or American Cranberry, is the most common species used for both commercial and decorative endeavors.  Native to the East Coast, from Quebec to North Carolina, through the Upper Midwest, and then along the Pacific Coast, V. macrocarpon is hardy in Zones 2-7, reaches about 1’ tall and can spread 1’-6’ wide.

And if you’re thinking you need to create a bog in your backyard… never fear.  You can grow Cranberries as an ornamental groundcover in your home landscape.  Pick a sunny spot (with afternoon protection if you live in Zones 6 and 7), amend the soil, much as you would for Blueberries, keep your Cranberries hydrated and enjoy.  Edible Landscaping, a local mail-order nursery with a national following, recommends growing them in hanging baskets or containers where you can better control the soil and moisture content.  I can easily envision a pair of beautiful pots, surrounded by Narcissus ‘Polar Ice’ and Summer Snowflake (Leucojum aestivum), overflowing with evergreen foliage, plus pinkish-white, elongated-bellflowers and, of course, the berries we know and love.

Wouldn't 'Stevens' be lovely in this lichen-green glazed planter from Campania International?

The delicate 'Polar Ice' Daffodil from Brent and Becky's Bulbs

By the way, cranberries for juice, canned sauce and jelly are harvested wet.  You know that iconic scene when the fields are flooded and the berries are corralled in what look like giant islands of red?  But whole Cranberries, like the ones we use for baking, are harvested dry, just as we would in our own gardens.  Well, maybe on a slightly larger scale!

Viburnum trilobum, also known as the American Cranberrybush or High Bush Cranberry, is another garden-worthy native that dons Christmas colors, almost year round.  Of course, it’s not a Cranberry at all.  But it is very pretty and provides four seasons of interest.

Viburnum trilobum 'Redwing', developed by Johnson's Nursery,
is one of the prettiest in bloom and

It blooms when in leaf – large, flat, milky lace umbels, not unlike certain Hydrangea, that appear in May and June.  Hardy in Zones 2-7 and preferring acidic, moist but well-drained soil, V. trilobum can serve as a cool backdrop for your sunny border or filtered shade garden.  Clusters of scarlet drupes (truly the color we think of as cranberry or cardinal red) mature in early autumn.

fruit.

They are seriously sour but can be made into jellies and jams or left on the shrub where they will linger through winter, eventually softening, darkening, as a lovely foil to maroon fall foliage and an attraction for local birds and wildlife.

All V. trilobum sport Maple-like leaves,
but 'Redwing' glows with new growth of bronzy red.

Once again, take note.  Viburnum trilobum is sometimes identified as Viburnum opulus L. var. americanum or Viburnum opulus ssp. trilobum but should not be confused with the European Viburnum opulus, also known as Cranberrybush or Guelder Rose, which has proven to be invasive in certain states.  Both species, the native and foreign, have varieties named ‘Compactum’.

Powdery mildew and Viburnum Leaf Beetle can be problems for V. trilobum, but otherwise it is an easy-going shrub.  It’s a good replacement for some of my roses.  But in a more suburban setting, I would love to create a small grove of High Bush Cranberries interplanted with Kalmia latifolia ‘Elf’ and ‘Peppermint’

Kalmia latifolia 'Peppermint' from Meadowbrook Nursery in North Carolina. 

and the Kurume Azalea ‘Christmas Cheer’,

Colesville Nursery in Ashland, VA, is both a wholesale grower and retail garden center.
They usually stock 'Christmas Cheer'.

with one or two Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snowflake’ and H. paniculata ‘Fire and Ice’, for quick succession of spring-summer bloom and appeal throughout the year… all in Yuletide colors.

'Snowflake' is an Oakleaf Hydrangea, but the long blossoms almost look like those of H. paniculata.
Absolutely beautiful flowers, peeling bark and fall foliage if you have the space.
From Meadowbrook Nursery

However, Christmas is a lot more than green, red and white.  It is a season full of richly saturated pigments… sugar-dusted candy and gaudy holiday lights…, the warm, comforting hues of oranges and spice cake, and pale shades just on the cusp of another like shimmering champagne and frosted moonlight.  Why not capture some of these colors, slightly burnished or silvered, fantastical and fun, in your own garden?

I can imagine sun-drenched steps flanked by

Delosperma cooperi ‘Lavender Ice’,

'Lavender Ice' and other varieties of Delosperma can be found at Bluestone Perennials.

Dianthus ‘Cranberry Ice’

'Cranberry Ice' is a favorite at Wayside Gardens.

and Veronica spicata ‘Icicle’;

'Icicle' also at Bluestone Perennials

a sheltered corner with
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Gingerbread’,

Rare Find Nursery in Jackson, NJ, has an amazing selection of Witch Hazels,
including the slightly more petite 'Gingerbread'.

Callicarpa japonica ‘Snow Storm’,

'Snow Storm' and

Digitalis purpurea ‘Candy Mountain’

'Candy Mountain' are available at Bluestone Perennials.
Visit them in person or via the internet.

and Lilium ‘Star Gazer’ for bits of joyful color, from blossoms, berries and leaves, throughout the year;
or blanket a sunny bank with
Paeonia ‘Snow Clouds’,

'Snow Clouds' can be ordered through Viette Nurseries and

Caryopteris divaricata ‘Snow Fairy’

'Snow Fairy' is still in stock at Bluestone Perennials.

and Echinacea purpurea ‘Fragrant Angel’

If you can't find 'Fragrant Angel' at your local garden center,
check with White Flower Farm.

to mimic snowflakes and twinkling stars in the middle of sunshine-y, summer days.

And if your landscape is usually all green: Boxwood and Hosta, ornamental grasses and Pachysandra, then consider adding Hibiscus rosa-sinensis ‘Snow Queen’

A local grower usually brings 'Snow Queen' to our farmer's market...
at least once we're safely into May.  It's not usually hardy north of Zone 8.
Check with Mr. Jack's Farm in Charlotte, NC, if you can't find it in your town.

or Dahlia ‘Santa Claus’

Dahlia 'Santa Claus' is available through Burpee's catalog or website.

for flamboyantly festive blooms in late summer and fall when other gardens in the neighborhood have completely petered out.

Yuletide Plantings, Part 1

The ‘Yuletide’ Camellias outside my office are brimming with buds, and I’m anxiously awaiting the initial bloom.  It’s not unlike receiving that first present at Christmas.  Sometimes the anticipation is just as great as the gift.

Monrovia grows 'Yuletide' for nurseries around the country.
Check with them for retailers in your neck of the woods.

And to be honest, these flowers are no sure thing.  Frigid overnight temperatures and a few days of ice and sleet could reduce each bud to tawny mush.  So I wait… in apprehensive hope.

Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’ is my favorite camellia.  When in flower, its Christmas-red petals, surrounding a fat cluster of bright yellow stamens, remind me of Paeonia ‘Blaze’ or even the more exotic ‘Sword Dance’.

'Blaze' from Sandy's Plants in Mechanicsville, Virginia

 

'Sword Dance' from Viette Nurseries in Fishersville, Virginia

They are identifiably Japanese and yet seem right at home in Virginia’s urban gardens.  Their happy blooms are especially precious this time of year, set against an abundance of glossy, forest green leaves, miraculously delicate and tenacious, just at the start of real winter.

Camellia by Water, in style of Ogata Kenzan
hanging scroll, ink and color on paper, c.1741
from the H. O. Havemeyer Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

We live at the western edge of the Piedmont, and Camellia’s range, and so there’s always a great deal of discussion about which is hardier: sasanqua or japonica.  I’ve heard votes for both.  Camellia sasanqua can handle a little more sun than japonica and tends to be more upright and slender.

The descriptors sasanqua and japonica can be confusing.
Camellia sasanqua originates from a small region in Japan,
while varieties of japonica grow naturally in many parts of Asia.

‘Yuletide’ is particularly charming for its tidy, slightly pyramidal shape.  Some folks trim it into standard tree form and prune the bottom branches.  But the three examples at work have been allowed to grow naturally.  Now, decades old, they are almost 10’ tall but only half as round.  Quite spectacular, really.  And they got me thinking about other plants that could extend the Christmas season throughout the year.

‘Yuletide’ is petite enough for even the smallest garden and would do well in a sheltered spot either as foundation planting or in a small grove of other shade-loving ornamentals.  Too much sun and wind are its greatest enemies.  Use its rich ever-greenery as a backdrop.  Underplant with Muscari armeniacum ‘Christmas Pearl’, Muscari ‘Peppermint’

Check with Brent and Becky's Bulbs for a fresh batch of 'Peppermint' next fall.

and Liriope muscari ‘Christmas Tree’ for a blanket of strappy foliage and pale purple blooms at the very beginning and end of the growing year.

Several years ago, I noticed quaint Liriope 'Christmas Tree'
along the Woodland Walk at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

It can be difficult to find, even online and in garden catalogs.
Sandy's Plants supplies nurseries throughout the Mid-Atlantic...
or you can just buy directly from her.

Add some mossy pots of Caladium for a bit of iciness in the middle of summer.  ‘White Christmas’,

‘Peppermint’

and ‘Cranberry Star’

Classic Caladiums, in Central Florida, is a wholesale grower and breeder of Caladium.
They supply garden centers and florists around the country, but you can buy directly from them.
Just know that they usually require a minimum purchase of 10-25 bulbs.

capture the colors of ribbon candy.

Clear white and true red are difficult to breed in Daylilies; but there really isn’t a more cheerful color combination.  Can you imagine Hemerocallis ‘Christmas Wishes’ along a white picket fence?

'Christmas Wishes' from Oakes Daylilies in eastern Tennessee

Plant a swath of ‘Christmas Carol’,

'Christmas Carol' from Bluestone Perennials

‘Arctic Snow’

'Arctic Snow' from Roycroft Daylily Nursery where they only grow Daylilies...
just south of Georgetown, South Carolina

and ‘Carolina Cranberry’

'Carolina Cranberry' is also grown at Oakes.
Oakes, Roycroft and Viette's are all multi-generational, family-run businesses.

in front of Muhlenbergia capillaris ‘White Cloud’.

'White Cloud', at the United States Botanic Garden, was still a showstopper in mid-December. 

Interplant the Daylilies with Tulipa ‘Peppermint Stick’.

From Brent and Becky's Bulbs, near the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia

They all enjoy lots of sun and can handle a little drought.  Plus new growth on the Daylilies will hide Tulip foliage as it dies back.  Don’t worry… it is more subtle than it sounds.  Each species would have its moment, and if planted here in Virginia, the border would provide interest from April until December.

Hosta x ‘Christmas Tree’ and little ‘Ice Follies’ look like they have been edged in frosting.

'Christmas Tree' from Sandy's Plants

 

'Ice Follies' from Plant Delights

While each leaf of ‘Night Before Christmas’ and its sport ‘Christmas Candy’ seems filled with cream cheese or lemon custard.

'Night Before Christmas' from Sandy's Plants

 

'Christmas Candy' from Plant Delights

But Hosta ‘Stargazer’, a new introduction from Plant Delights in Raleigh, North Carolina, is perhaps the prettiest.

What a cool, sugary respite for your summer shade garden.

Varieties of Heuchera have been inspired by so many Christmas flavors, including the almost-indestructible Heuchera x brizoides ‘Plum Pudding’,

Check out Bluestone Perennials, based near the southern shore of Lake Erie, for a good selection of Heuchera.

marbled x americana ‘Peppermint Spice’,

From Sandy's Plants

villosa ‘Caramel’ with hints of peach and bronze and green,

You can order 'Caramel' for spring planting from White Flower Farm.

deeply-lobed ‘Chocolate Ruffles’,

and unusual ‘Mocha’ and ‘Ginger Ale’.

'Mocha' actually emerges in copper and then darkens to almost black.
The Missouri Botanical Garden has a lovely display of Heuchera, including 'Chocolate Ruffles' and 'Mocha'.

But Heuchera sanguinea ‘Snow Angel’ is my absolute favorite for its frilly leaves, speckled in grass green and ivory, and wispy rose-pink “coral bells”.

'Ginger Ale' and 'Snow Angel' are both available from Bluestone Perennials.

Polystichum acrostichoides is commonly known as Christmas Fern, probably because it remains green even in winter.  I’ve also seen gardeners include its slightly-olive fronds, sometimes dotted with brown sori, in wreaths and garlands.  Native to most of the eastern United States, leathery Christmas Fern lacks the lushness and rambunctiousness of other ferns.  But its mild temperament makes it a great addition to small gardens.  Waterlogged roots seem to be its main enemy.  Otherwise, Christmas Fern thrives in moist, well-drained or dry shade, even on rocky or wooded slopes, often snatching a spot beneath trees and large shrubs where little else will grow.

These Christmas Ferns were snapped at the Missouri Botanical Garden.
But I purchased mine through Monticello, where they are grown "in-house",
at the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants.

Gaultheria procumbens or Wintergreen is another “Christmas” plant native to the acidic forests of eastern North America.  Usually found among the groundcovers at nurseries and in plant catalogs, Wintergreen is a minute shrub that will eventually reach 6-8” tall and 2-3’ around.  I absolutely love Wintergreen for its sturdy, thumbprint leaves, in shades from bottle green to bronze, pinkish-white tinkerbell flowers throughout the summer and red, red fruits, like souped-up cranberries, in the fall and winter.

Wayside Gardens stocks Wintergreen year after year, but don't wait too long...

This all-around-great plant always sells out quickly in our area, so don’t hesitate if you find a healthy example at your local garden center.  Gaultheria procumbens enjoys partial shade but needs a little sun, preferably in the morning, to bloom best.  And yes, oil extracted from its glossy foliage is the original source of wintergreen flavoring!

For an interesting tapestry of foliage, plant a corner of bright shade with Christmas Fern, Wintergreen and Tiarella 'Sugar and Spice' and stay tuned for more yuletide plantings!