Plant Guide Summer

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 Gardenia g Star Jasmine m Persicaria b Velvet Leaf Hydrangea h Silk Tree n Hibiscus c Magnolia i Rose o Crape Myrtle d Banana j Begonia p Lily Turf e Hosta k Pomegranate q Lotus f Evergreen Hydrangea l Hypericum r Water Lily

A master species list is available at the entrance. It is also available online at www.lansugarden.org/plants PLANT Guide Summer

Gardenia A Hosta E (Gardenia ‘Kleims Hardy’) (Hosta plantaginea) Cultivated in China for nearly 1500 Find these shade lovers tucked years. The roots, leaves and fruits throughout the garden. Their pure are used in Chinese medicine and a white flowers are fragrant, especially popular motif for ceramics and other at night. Cultivated since the Han art forms. These evergreen shrubs with dynasty (202 BCE to 220 CE), this creamy star shaped flowers lend their plant’s common name in China is fragrance in the garden’s courtyards. “jade hairpin”, referring to the use of the flower stalk as a hair ornament.

Velvet-Leaf B Evergreen F Hydrangea Hydrangea (Hydrangea aspera ‘Macrophylla’) (Dichroa febrifuga, D. versicolor) Native to China, this fuzzy leaved Native to China, these hydrangea hydrangea has wonderful lace-cap relatives are semi-evergreen with flowers in summer and velvety soft dark green leaves. In summer, large leaves. The showy ring of white mopheads of buds open into masses of “flowers” are actually sterile and can tiny blue flowers change color, depending on the pH level in the soil.

MAGNOLIA C Star Jasmine G (Magnolia delavayi, M. grandiflora) (Trachelospermum jasminoides) China is home to more magnolia Present in many temperate gardens species than any other country in throughout China, this evergreen vine the world. The garden’s summer- is sweetly fragrant and can be found blooming species include M. delavayi throughout Lan Su, often trailing over and M. grandiflora. Both produce large the rocks and on the exterior, at the white, fragrant blooms. While not base of the street trees. native to China, M. grandiflora has been used in gardens in China for over 300 years.

BANANA D Silk Tree H (Musa basjoo) (Albizia julibrissin) Native to China, this cold-hardy Look high up to spot the striking pink, species is used for ornamental effect, fluffy flowers of this Chinese plant. as its tiny, green fruits are inedible. Its delicate fern-like foliage is light All parts of the plant are used in sensitive and will close up at night. traditional Chinese medicine and fibers from the stem can be used to make textiles. Rose i hIbiscus n (Rosa chinensis ‘Mutabilis’, R. ‘Sevillana’) (Hibiscus syriacus ‘Aphrodite’) Rosa chinensis ‘Mutabilis’ is a repeat- Cultivated in China for milennia. bloomer with flowers that change Believed to have reached the Middle from pale yellow to peach then pink. East from China via the Silk road It was used in the development of hence the species name syriacus. hybrid tea roses in England in the Mentioned in Chinese writings as 19th century. Rosa ‘Sevillana’ with its early as 1000 BCE! Hibiscus leaves can bright red blooms was selected by the sometimes be substituted for tea. original designer as a nod to Portland’s own namesake—“The City of Roses.”

begonia j Crape Myrtle o (Begonia grandis var evansiana ) (Lagerstroemia ‘Natchez’ & ‘Tuscarora’) The Chinese common name is This Chinese native was a favorite Autumn Crabapple and for much of ornamental tree during the Tang China’s history been an esteemed dynasty (618-906 CE), when it was garden plant. Its red ribbed almost a common sight on palace grounds. transluscent olive green leaves and Look up high for its dense clusters of delicate stalks adorned with waxy pink crinkled blooms in late summer and flowers make a perfect late summer below for its mottled, peeling bark. floral arrangement.

Pomegranate k LILY TURF p (Punica granatum ‘Nana’ & ‘California (Liriope muscari, L. spicata) Sunset’) This lily family member is a durable Although not native to China, the evergreen with grass-like leaves which pomegranate has been widely used produces numerous spikes of lavender in Chinese gardens as a symbol of flowers in summer. Used in gardens in fertility, due to its many seeds. Our China as a border or in mass plantings. ornamental cultivars are grown for their bright orange flowers.

Hypericum l Water Lotus q (Hypericum ‘Hidcote’) (Nelumbo sp.) This evergreen shrub provides our This plant’s huge circular leaves and landscape with bright yellow flowers large flowers rest high above the water. throughout the summer. It is related Its fragrance and graceful form has to the ‘St. John’s Wort’ plant that has inspired Chinese artists throughout been long used in Chinese medicine. the ages. Long appreciated as a symbol of integrity, each flower bud rises from the mud and passes through murky waters to reveal an untainted, flawless bloom. PERSICARIA m Water lily r (Persicaria ‘Red Dragon’) (Nymphaea sp.) This herbaceous perennial with deep Aquatic plants — most commonly, purple foliage has delicate white lilies and lotus — are an important flowers resembling baby’s breath that part of a traditional Chinese garden. emerge in summer. In its wild form, it Water lilies have somewhat heart- is found in several Chinese provinces, shaped leaves that rest flat on the as well as India and Nepal. water’s surface with their pink and white flowers floating among them.

Do you have a question about a specific plant? Email Lan Su’s Horticulture department at [email protected] for more information.