Actually, this is probably about 90% of what I have for trough material. Some are just seedlings, and there is always things not listed that have come and gone-like my more poor Rhodiola. I wish I had jack rabbits intead of cottentails. Somehow they seem to be less enamoured by exotics. Draba athoa Erinus alpinus Gypsophila bungeana G. aretoides Achillea teretifolia Antennaria alpina A.howeli ssp. nedoioca A.rosea var. confinus A.neglecta var. gaspensis Aster coloradoensis Esobaria viviparia Pediocactus simpsonii Delospermum nubigeum Hesperis kotschyi Linaria tristis Pnstemon hirsutus var. pygmaeus Iris pumila 4-6inches Veronica gentiana V. armena Saxafraga crusata Semiaquilegia ecalcarata Adiantum venustum Buxus sempervirens Buxus sinica(microphylla) var. koreana Hosta venusta Fragaria vesca Ruegen no runners on mine Hepatica americana Iris cristata Mentha requienii Vancouveria hexandra Betula nana Sedum obtusifolium Sempervivum 'Bronco' S. 'May Imp' S. 'Red Ace' Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Minima' Picea abies 'Kellerman's Blue Cameo' With respect to hardiness, everything I have I expect or hope to be hardy here, but not in little pots sitting on the ground all winter. So they all go in my box. It's nice because I can go out on a "warm" day in January, open it up and pull out some bloodroot, or whatever for forcing. If I may gloat, one March our Society's banquet program was on Iris; I forced a dozen of my 5 inch Iris pumila and the timing couldn't have been better. And Lori, I would not call that parasitic - joining NARGS for the seed exchange. It's in their mission statement to "get the word out and promote rock gardening" or some such similar. Seems to me like that's what happens if you buy their seed. About donating to the seed exchange, I would encourage you Far Northers especially to participate, even if you think your plants are common. There is a good chance your strain is more cold hardy. If there is a lot of seed, what happens is your seed will get mixed with others. And everyone will have a chance at your really good stuff. I wouldn't be surprised if the seed exchange volunteers would take note of your area, and offer it as a seperate choice for those who need the extra cold hardiness. Rick

Yesterday, my mom and I indulged and went on a road trip of sorts. We just had to satisfy our curiosity about Thomsen's Greenhouse in Avon, MN, but Chippewa Farms in Garfield is where we spent our $$. I did a LOT of winter sowing, so the following are either to fill-in containers or were love at first sight. Lantana C. "Variegata" Artemisia "Oriental Limelight" licorice vine Sweet Potato vine "Sweet Caroline" coleus wizard mix asst. vinca vines unnamed miniature hosta from WalMart gazanias

I hear ya about the irony. Native....or non-native when the native animal/insect population is drawn to them equally. Last spring I bought a small (12 inches tall!) wafer ash (Ptelea trifoliata) at a wildflower sale to attract giant swallowtail caterpillars one day. Well, one momma GST did find my wafer ash and soon I had 6 ravenous caterpillars. GST caterpillars feed on plants in the Rutaceae family which, when it comes to natives, would include prickly ash and wafer ash....both trees that are impossible to find at any local nursery. Prickly ash is probably something most homeowners remove anyway. So how on earth do those butterflies manage to stay alive in the midwest? They will eat citrus leaves (a tropical....not something you would find in the midwest...although Poncirus trifoliata survives in this zone). They will eat rue...an herb from Europe! Luckily I had a hardy orange for them to chomp on when they ate all the leaves off the wafer ash. But then they disappeared....I'm thinking a 'possum got them overnight or something. :-/ They had been wandering off once the wafer ash was leafless but they were very easy to find when I looked for them and then put them back on the hardy orange. Cycle of life, I guess. But it is ironic that sometimes the non-native plants are the ones that keep the natives going. What I learned...I'm buying more wafer ash for next year since apparently, it is very delicious to GSTs but I am also going to plant rue even though it's not a native because it is a good food source backup for butterflies. Nothing is cut and dry, you know?

It is no more invasive than any other shrubby form of St. John's wort but does have the ability to self-seed. But then so does H. prolificum, which is considered an invasive species in Connecticut where it has escaped from culitvation and has naturalized wild areas. The 'Magical' series has produced plants that offer a wide selection of berry colors and are in demand for the florist trade, as the berries are used in cut flower bouquets. It should also be more or less evergeen in a zone 8 climate.