Unicorn Plants Part Two

Keith: So today I've got Shannon here with me from Garden Supply Company., we've talked about unicorn plants plants that are just, you just don't think you're gonna see 'em out there. Things that bloom throughout the year that are evergreen, that will handle wet or dry, that really fit a landscape plant kind of qualification.

What are some of your favorites, Shannon?

Shannon: So we talked already in the previous one, about sun unicorn plants. Yeah. But now I wanted to talk about shade. Of course camillia is one of the first things that comes to mind, but so many people think about cams as being these huge. Giant shrubs and they don't have to be right.

We've got quite a few that are three to four feet tall and wide. The first one that comes to mind is the October Ruby Magic. . That's a great plant. Yeah. Flowers red in the late October to Christmas almost, and stays within that realm. Controllable.

Keith: Yeah. So for people that don't know, su sanks are gonna bloom in the fall.

And then japonica is bloom in the spring. Su sank was are the smaller leaf cames and japonicas are the larger leaf and flowers that you know. . The su sanks are always the smaller leaf and smaller flowers, but they have more flowers. Japonicas will have great big rose like flowers or piney like flowers.

And and then they flower, winter into spring.

Shannon: And truly the waxy leaf of that evergreen is so beautiful all year round. It is, it doesn't matter if it's flowering or not, it's a stunning shrub. It's,

Keith: it looks perfect 12 months out of the year.

Shannon: Exactly. And I know you know this, but I'm from Wisconsin and the only evergreens we have are conifers, right? And it's a very limited number of conifers. Yep. That will stand that zone. And so to be down here with things that will stay evergreen. And flour. To me it truly is a unicorn .

Keith: It's the same as a crate myrtle in the middle of the summerside.

Exactly. People come down there oh my God, what is that plant? I have to have three of 'em. Yes. The Chails work really well. I The japonica, some of the larger japonicas really work well as a accent plant or something off the corner of the house. And in that case it's a smaller plant in a lot of cases than like in Nellie Stevens, Holly.

To . Put off a two story house or a, one and a half story house where you got, you've got the space for it to fill out.

Shannon: Absolutely. And they can be worked as a privacy shrub as well. They can in the shade. Yep. Or afternoon. Yeah.

Keith: Shade a little bit. The only thing with the chails that, that that people need to know is they're a little bit slow to establish and, but you put 'em in and you take, give 'em some.

And they're, they definitely have the value in the end.

Shannon: Absolutely. One of my personal favorites, and I can't think of the name of it, is the it's one that flowers, pink, red, and white, but is all completely,

Keith: yeah, I can't remember. Okay. It maybe Deb, Debbie to It

Shannon: might be, we'll have to circle back to that, but we will the Andromeda?

Yeah. Or PIIs. Yep. My ultimate favorite. Yeah. In that

Keith: section. That's a great plant. I always tell people to put one of one of 'em in at a time as a more of a specimen plant. , because they'll, they tend to grow on, irregular in shape, which is of the beauty of the plant. Like a Japanese maple almost take, they take character, but if they, if you don't if you put three of 'em in, it's likely one of 'em will be slow to take off and one of 'em will grow really tall and one of 'em will grow really wide.

So I always. Like 'em by the ones, but it is, it's a perfect plant.

Shannon: It is the veining in that evergreen leaf. It's a narrow leaf, but the veining in the center is really pretty and I love how the new growth comes up. And is either bronze or the mountain fire red? Yep. That comes up. It looks like it's flowering through the summer.

Yeah. But that's just the new leaf growth. Yep. And then in the fall, those buds that come up and. Tiny little bell flowers.

Keith: Yeah. It's a perfect plant, I think. . Absolutely. It really is. One of my favorites in the landscape is sweet Box Sara Coca. Yeah. That, that plant only gets four feet tall, four feet wide takes a little bit a little bit of time to get going, and it doesn't really want to be pruned.

It needs to have a natural, like waterfall type habit, like a. Like a versaci, but in the early, late winter, early spring, it blooms, and the blooms are insignificant other than they're very fragrant. Oh. So it's a nice shiny leaf plant and as, and the fragrance is there, so and it handles dry. It's something that's gonna handle dry shade really well. So that's one of my all time

Shannon: favorites. Yeah. We've gotta talk about the anus as well. Yeah. Perfect plant, the woodland, ...