Plant Guide Spring
China is home to more than 30,000 plant species – one-eighth of the world’s total. At Lan Su, visitors can enjoy hundreds of these plants, many of which have a rich symbolic and cultural history in China. This guide is a selected look at some of Lan Su’s current favorites.
Please return this guide to the Garden Host at the entrance when your visit is over. A Clematis G Magnolia* M Rhododendron* B Chinese Paper Bush H Lushan Honeysuckle N Winter Jasmine C Winter Daphne I Peony* O Kerria D Chinese Fringe Flower J Chinese Plum P Bergenia E Forsythia K Quince Q Iris F Camelllia* L Crabapple R Corydalis
* For a complete list of these species, please request a master species list at the entrance. It is also available online at www.lansugarden.org/plants PLANT Guide Spring
Clematis A Forsythia E (Clematis armandii ‘Appleblossom’, (Forsythia x intermedia ‘Lynwood Gold’) C. fasciculiflora) Long cultivated in Chinese gardens, C. armandii is native to China. Look forsythia has become popular in for the soft-pink, lightly fragrant gardens throughout the world. Cut ‘Apple Blossom’ cultivar above the branches can be forced to bloom early, moon gate. C. fasciculiflora is a rare when brought indoors. Chinese species with small, fragrant white flowers. Its young foliage has distinctive, silver center stripes.
Chinese Paper B Camellia F Bush (Camellia. japonica ‘Drama Girl’) For additional camellia varieties, see the Master (Edgeworthia ‘Red Dragon’, E. chrysantha) Species List Native to China, this deciduous shrub is a relative of sweet Daphne. The camellia has long been a favorite In winter, frosty silver buds open to garden plant in China. The ornamental clusters of intoxicatingly fragrant, species frequently used in traditional golden-yellow or orange flowers. The Chinese gardens were C. japonica, C. Chinese made paper from this plant reticulata and C. sasanqua. The Chinese by pounding flat the stems and bark. were cultivating camellias at least as early as the 11th century.
Winter Daphne C Magnolia G (Daphne ‘Aureomarginata’, D. odora) (Magnolia x soulangiana) For additional This evergreen shrub explodes with magnolia varieties, see the Master Species List clusters of pink flowers in winter that China is home to more magnolia have a rich, orange blossom-like scent. species than any other country. The original Chinese name for this plant Certain species have been cultivated is “sleeping scent”. Legend has it that a for well over a thousand years. Look monk fell asleep beneath the cliffs of the for their white and pink blooms on ancient Lu Mountain. There he dreamt bare branches throughout the garden. of an impossibly sweet fragrance, only to awake and find himself next to this sweetly fragrant plant.
Chinese Fringe D Lushan H Flower Honeysuckle (Loropetalum chinesis, Loropetalum ‘Snow (Lonicera modesta var. lushanensis) Dance’) This deciduous to semi-evergreen This evergreen shrub is in the witch shrub produces tubular white flowers hazel family. Lan Su has several purple- that run the length of vigorous, vine- leaved specimens whose magenta like branches during winter. Its sweet flowers provide bright color in spring and fresh fragrance can be detected and summer. An additional green-leaved even on cold, rainy spring days. specimen with white flowers sits along the pond edge in front of the teahouse. Peony i Winter Jasmine n (Peony ‘Gauguin’) For additional peony (Jasminum nudiflorum) varieties, see the Master Species List Look for this plant along the water’s The peony has been cultivated in edge where its yellow flowers cascade China for millennia. Early uses were down over the rocks. Blooming during purely medicinal yet by the seventh the coldest time of year, this hardy century, its large, colorful fragrant jasmine is also a valuable food source blooms were highly sought after. for the hummingbirds that visit the Different from herbaceous peonies, garden year round. Lan Su has several “tree peonies” or shrubs with woody tissue.
Chinese Plum j Kerria o (Prunus mume, P. mume ‘Kobai’, P. mume (Kerria ‘Pleniflora’ & Kerria ‘Golden ‘Alba’) Guinea’) One of the most culturally significant Native to China, this reliable spring plants in China, P. mume is one of the bloomer has brilliant golden yellow “Three Friends of Winter” (along with flowers running the length of arching, pine and bamboo) given its ability bright green, cane-like branches. to flower in the coldest months. The flower’s five petals can also represent the five blessings of longevity, health, wealth, love of virtue and a natural death.
Quince k Bergenia p (Chaenomeles japonica ‘Atsuya (Bergenia emeiensis ‘Snow Chimes’) Hamada’) A relatively new introduction from Quince have long been grown in China, this perennial is native to the Chinese gardens and are also used cliffs of Sichuan province. It’s shade- in penjing, Chinese miniature potted loving and evergreen with bell-like landscapes. Collected in the wild by white flowers. Northwest plantsman, Roy Davidson, ‘Atsuya Hamada’ has deep red flowers that are translucent when backlit by the setting sun.
Crabapple l Iris q (Malus ‘Prairie Fire’, M. floribunda) (Iris confusa ‘Martyn Rix’) Crabapples have been used in Chinese Native to China, this unusual iris has gardens for over 1,000 years. Our foliage borne on bamboo-like stems ornamental species produce red berries and small orchid-like, purple blooms. but are most admired for their five- Not reliably hardy, these iris survive petaled blossoms and zig-zag branches. our winters thanks to the walled, Poets and painters since the seventh protective environment of the garden. century have admired this plant as a symbol of feminine beauty.
Rhododendron m Corydalis r (Rhododendron oreotrephes) For additional (Corydalis ‘Blackberry Wine’) Rhododendron varieties, see the Master Species List A recent introduction from China, Its common name in Chinese is this herbaceous perennial makes an associated with the ‘rooster’. An attractive groundcover with delicate, ancient poem links the bird’s seasonal fernlike foliage. Purple, fragrant singing with the rhododendron’s flowers appear in late spring and springtime bloom. Find stunning continue until mid-summer. After a examples of colorful hybrids and short period of dormancy it can re- species rhododendrons flowering bloom in autumn. throughout April and May.
Do you have a question about a specific plant? Email Glin Varco, Lan Su’s Director of Horticulture at [email protected] for more information.