Our Plants

  • Mountain-laurel

    Kalmia latifolia is a broadleaf evergreen shrub that is native to the eastern United States.  It grows 5-15 feet tall and has clusters of showy white to pink flowers that appear in May and June.  Commonly known as mountain-laurel, it grows in partial shade and acidic, well-drained soil like its rhododendron relatives.  Kalmia latifolia is the state flower of Pennsylvania.
  • Chinese Wax-shrub

    Calycanthus chinensis is a deciduous shrub reaching about nine feet tall and wide. The noteworthy feature of this plant is the large, three-inch waxy camellia-like flowers with ivory-pink tepals surrounding golden yellow petals in May to July. The glossy green leaves turn a lovely golden in the fall. It does well in part shade and blooms at a young age.  In China it is found on slopes or near streams, usually under a canopy, in mountainous areas, about 1900 to 3200 feet in North Zhejiang Province. It was first introduced to North America in the 1980s and has been found to be hardy in USDA zones 6 to 9. 

Learn More With Our Plant Explorer

From in-bloom flowers to just-ripening fruits, each and every efflorescence can be found in our plant collections database. Time your trip around unfurling petals or reflect on the names of what you saw in a particular garden—our Plant Explorer is here to help.

Discover Iconic Plants