Connoisseur Plants
Connoisseur Plants are rare, new plants, or hard-to-find old favorites. These wonderful plants are being offered to our upper level members, Collector (formerly Sponsor) level and higher.
Please note that several plants are available in very limited quantities. For some plants, we don't know the full range of hardiness, only how it has behaved at the JC Raulston Arboretum. Sometimes, we cannot find any information in our references on a particular taxon. This does not mean that the plant doesn't exist, perhaps just that we are staying one step ahead of published information. One of the purposes of the Arboretum is to test new plants for suitability to the southeastern United States. By growing some of these "new-to-us" plants in your own garden, you can be a part of this evaluation process. Feedback from you is invaluable!
Happy choosing, and thank you for your continued and invaluable support of the JC Raulston Arboretum.
To submit your selections, please use the form link in the e-mail you received on February 21, 2024 from Kathryn Wall. If you need assistance, please e-mail Kathryn at kbwall@ncsu.edu or call (919) 513-7004 Selections should be placed no later than end of day March 3, 2024.
Note: The distribution year listed below is the year the plants were awarded. Members request them early the following year. And they're picked up or delivered shortly thereafter.
2017 Plant Selection
Aspidistra elatior (ex. 'Fuji-no-mine')
cast iron plant
- evergreen perennial to 36"
- plant in shade
- hardy
- light lavender flowers in winter
- deer resistant
- evergreen shrub to 18" × 48"
- plant in sun to shade
- hardy
- deer resistant
- deciduous shrub to 5'–8'
- plant in sun to part shade
- hardy
- in August–September
- decidulous shrub to 8'
- plant in sun to part shade
- hardy
- lavender flowers in spring
- purple fruit in summer to fall
- attracts birds
- woody conifer to 30'–50' tall
- plant in sun to part shade
Crinum bulbispermum
Wine and Chablis South African river lily
- bulb to 3' by 5'
- plant in sun to part shade
- hardy
- white flowers in spring and summer
- winter hardy herbaceous vine to 6'
- plant in shade
- hardy
- yellow flowers in all summer long
- butterfly/pollinator friendly
- winter hardy herbaceous vine to 6'
- plant in shade
- hardy
- yellow flowers in all summer long
- butterfly/pollinator friendly
- herbaceous perennial to 12'
- plant in sun
- hardy
- white flowers in fall
- flowering shrub to 3'–4'
- plant in sun to part shade
- hardy
- white flowers in late spring
- red fruit in late summer
- evergreen shrub to 3' × 5'
- plant in sun
- hardy to zone 7b
- yellow-orange flowers in all season
- butterfly/pollinator friendly
- deciduous shrub to 5' × 5'
- plant in sun to part shade
- hardy
- light green flowers in spring
- flowering shrub to 10'
- plant in sun
- hardy
- white flowers in summer
- deciduous subshrub to 3'
- plant in sun to part shade
- hardy
- light purple flowers in summer-fall
- fine textured foliage
- deciduous shrub to 6'–8'
- plant in sun to part shade
- hardy
- deer resistant
- Gold new growth ages to chartreuse, best in some sun.
- herbaceous perennial to 1 foot
- plant in sun to part shade
- hardy to zone 7
- deer resistant
- herbaceous vine here to climbs 10'
- plant in sun
- root hardy to zone 8
- raspberry red flowers in all summer long
- butterfly/pollinator friendly
- supports Gulf fritillary and Julia caterpillars
- woody conifer to 12'–15'
- plant in sun to part shade
- hardy
Punica granatum 'Elf'
pomegranate
Punica granatum 'Surh-anor'
pomegranate
- herbaceous perennial to 48"
- plant in sun to part shade
- semi-hardy
- powder blue flowers in mid-summer to fall
- butterfly/pollinator friendly and deer resistant
- herbaceous perennial to 3'
- plant in sun
- hardy
- soft pink flowers in all summer long
- hummingbird magnet
- evergreen herbaceous perennial to 6"
- plant in sun, well-drained soil
- hardy
- yellow flowers in all year
- Flowers on and off all year
