My North Creek Nurseries Wish List

With its tough disposition and spreading habit, this native sedge makes an excellent shade groundcover. Fine texture and fountaining habit give this sedge a soft appearance that is lovely as an underplanting for bolder shade perennials or on its own as a shade lawn. Great in containers too! Easy to grow. Happiest in the company of oaks, but who isn't?

Another great selection for the East Coast bred by Charles Oliver of the Primrose Path. With its H. villosa heritage, it is vigorous and long-lived. Stunningly beautiful velvety purple leaves with darker veins are topped with pale pink pearl-like flowers in late spring. Definitely one of our favorites!

A bright new foliage color for shady sites! Golden yellow, oval leaves with reddish edges support 2" gold flowers with pincushion-like center clustered stamens in late spring and early summer. You will hardly notice the flowers in the sea of gold foliage. This plant is most content in cooler areas away from drying winter winds, although once established it is quite tough.

Juncus effusus is a clump forming wetland plant that is a striking vertical addition to any garden or container planting. Upright, fanning, deep green, rounded stems make a great accent in a container or water garden. Soft rush can be planted at the edge of a pond or in up to 6" of standing water. Inconspicuous golden flowers appear atop the stems in summer. Native to most of North America, soft rush provides food and shelter for birds and other wildlife. Distribution Map

A dense mat of conifer-like blue foliage forms a tight, weed resistant groundcover in any sunny location. In June deep mauve pink stems rise to 10" and are topped with brilliant yellow flowers. 'Blue Spruce' grows quickly and is easy to maintain even in the most unwelcome of sites. Great for rock walls, green roofs, walkways and containers. Evergreen in warmer zones.