Behind A Name
Our Top Plants Uncovered
Ever wondered about the stories behind some of North Creek’s best-selling plants? Where did they come from? What’s their deal - why do we like them so much? Well, wonder no more. We’re going to peek behind the curtain and get the scoop on some perennial favorites.
Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Standing Ovation’
Our first introduction to the industry! This little bluestem is the result of some sharp eyes and excellent observational skills. While going about his day, one of our team members, Dale Hendricks, noticed an unusually upright seedling of Schizachryium scoparium growing out of the gravel between our hoop houses. Pointing the specimen out to our General Manager, Tim McGinty, this little beauty was dug up and planted in the trial gardens for additional trialing. Unlike other members of the species that lodge and flop over, this plant grew very upright, no matter the weather. From heavy rains in summer to wet snow in winter, this little bluestem stood proud with beautiful coloring. For years, the trials team kept it under observation. We began to put it forward as a potential introduction, deciding to call it ‘Standing Ovation’ to showcase this Schizachyrium’s best trait. The real test came after Superstorm Sandy walloped the East Coast in 2012. We had damage to our greenhouses, flooding and washouts on our roads, but there she was - ‘Standing Ovation’ was completely unfazed. That’s when we knew we had a winner. From our greenhouses to yours - we’re proud of the stalwart and rugged nature of this little bluestem.
Geranium maculatum ‘Espresso’
If you know one of our founders, Dale Hendricks, then this plant requires no introduction. The man, the myth, the legend (also one of the strongest proponents for Pawpaws on your plate and in your garden), Dale Hendricks can spot a PWP (Plant With Potential) while careening down backcountry roads at 60 mph. However, this isn’t one of those. This Geranium maculatum was a chance seedling found on his wooded property in Landenberg, Pennsylvania with chocolate-maroon foliage. He watched it, isolated the strain, and got it into the greenhouses. North Creek visitors ‘oooo-d’ and ‘ahhhh-d’ and we cottoned on we had something special. The rest is history. ‘Espresso’ adds depth and interest into a shade garden and the leaves are offset wonderfully with the light to dark pink flowers in spring.
Heuchera americana ‘Dale’s Strain’
You know how we just mentioned Dale’s ability to spot a PWP at 60mph? This is one of them. While touring around Cullowhee Native Plant Conference, Dale came across this lovely specimen of Heuchera americana with distinctive foliage, showier than the average native coralbell. Tucked into rock crevices along a trail, he retrieved the seed, grew it on, and brought it over to North Creek. We fell in love with its contrasting foliage with streaks of burgundy as the leaves emerge in spring and color up in fall. This seed strain can be quite variable in coloration, touched with silver to burgundy, and is very attractive when planted in large groups in a shade garden.
Lysimachia lanceolata ‘Burgundy Mist’
Now this groundcover took some steps to get here. The red foliage form of our native Lysimachia lanceolata was found to be an isolated population by Mike Berkeley and Terri Barnes of GroWild Nursery in Tennessee. Over time, the exciting rare plant was shared with friends and fellow growers at native plant conferences (yet another reason to go - plant people are inherently generous and fun folks). Originally, the red leaf form was questioned if it could possibly be a subspecies or a forma or variety but was decided it required further study. Whatever is happening here taxonomically, the wine red foliage is a lacy but tough groundcover that is covered with starry yellow flowers in early summer. A few of us native plant nurseries came together to propose names for the selection since it was determined not to be a subspecies. A guitar player in the group proposed ‘Burgundy Mist’ after the famous Fender guitar color and as the original discoverers of the plant are known to be real music lovers, the name stuck. We love using this perennial on the edge of planting beds and at the base of vase shaped shrubs and tall warm season grasses.
More North Creek Unique™!
Over the years, we have helped introduce and popularize many new plants in the market by partnering with plant breeders, fellow nurseries, public research institutions, and sometimes through a friend of a friend who found something really cool one day. These interesting and uncommon perennials are a part of our North Creek Unique™ line, each with their own story to tell. From Cincinatti Zoo’s goldenrod introduction that helped a species threatened with habitat loss to Mt. Cuba Center’s discoveries on their property or through their network of scientists that brought us stunning new Iris, Asters, and Coreopsis, there’s more to these plants than meets the eye. Tune in next time for when we reveal more plant lore from over thirty years of plants in our catalog!
