10 Rare Houseplants You HAVE TO GROW!!

1. Swiss Cheese Monstera
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Somewhat rare (becoming more common) plant has small leaves compared to the famous Monstera delisiosa, and is a small plant that vines. Leaves look like Siwss Cheese with holes in them adding texture to your home or office! Low light, and low water needs. Basically the new Pothos!

2. Spike (Cordyline)
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Commonly sold as centerpieces for flower pots and sold as annuals with flowers, this plant actually makes a perfect houseplant tolerating low light and low water. Variegated forms also exist adding color to your home or office!

3. Algerian Ivy
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While becoming more common, still not available in every garden center. This beauty is mostly sold in variegated form. Huge leaves larger than English Ivy splotted with white adds color to your home or office! Tolerates low light to partial sun. Allow water to dry thoroughly in-between waterings.

4. 'Raven' ZZ
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Brand new cultivar on the market, and may only be found on special orders or online. It is the same as the regular ZZ plant, but it's leaves are so dark they are almost black! This is a plant for everyone's home adding a darker vibe to your pale green home! 

5. Little Fiddle Fiddle Leaf Fig 'Bambino'
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New to the market, though has been available for sometime, it is is just now becoming more widely available. Same as the regular Fiddle, but is a dwarf form with much smaller compacted foliage. Perfect for smaller spaces and not have to worry of it getting to big for your space.

6. Austral Gem Birds Nest Fern
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Somewhat rare cultivar, and isn't available in most garden centers. Leaves feel like plastic and is much more tolerant to drier periods than the regular Birds Nest Fern. Perfect for your terrariums, or displays in your home or office!

7. Dancing Bones Cactus
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Rare Catus is one of the only Cacti that thrives in low light! It's skeleton like growth is where the name comes from. Spooky!

8. Fish Bone Cactus
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Rare vining Cactus that is one of the only Cacti that thrives in low light

9. Song of India Dracaena
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Rare Dracaena is perhaps the most colorful Dracaena there is! Deep vibrant yellow variegated green foliage adds color and art to your home or office! Tends to suffer and drop leaves in low light, partial sun to bright indirect light is best. Low water needs.

10. Kentia Palm
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This extremely rare and usually expensive Palm hails from Australia. It's extremely slow growth, few trees to collect seeds from, and a very high demand makes these trees very pricey, and the price to skyrocket especially for anything taller than 2'. It is totally worth it if you can get your hands on one! Like Parlour Palm, and Lady Palm, the Kentia Palm is one of the few Palms to thrive in indoor environments. Thrives in low light, low water, and low humidity. In the wild it can grow over 40', while indoors you likely won't live long enough to see it when it become too large.

NatureMan's Indiana USDA Zone Map

This map is based on my own experience living in Indiana, and to make it easier for your landscaping decisions. The real map by the USDA has a bunch of averages bunched together. In many places it can be hard to tell which zone you are in. You may be on the border of 2 different zones and be very difficult to tell. I made my map more simplified so you can clearly tell which zone you are in. Remember, these are based on average coldest temperatures. You very well can get colder than these, but very rarely. So if you are in a zone 6a then on average your coldest temperature is between -5°F to -10°F. In a very rare cold spell you can still dip to -15°F or -20°F, but would likely be record cold and only happening once every several decades, or maybe not at all. The winters of 1985, and 1994 comes to mind. Indiana saw zone 3 and 4 winters in a solid zone 6. Only got that cold in these two winters (colder than -20°F) in nearly 150 years of weather recording.

Trees and Shrubs to Grow in USDA Zone 2

Very few areas are in a zone 2, the only state in the US to be in zones 1 and 2 is Alaska. South Central Alaska in Anchorage is a Zone 4 because they are closer to the ocean. South East Alaska Juneau (capital) is a zone 7/8 because it is right on the ocean and is a maritime climate. Fairbanks is the only major city in the US that is a Zone 2. The city itself has over 30,000 people, but it's metro with several other towns and small cities has over 100,000. That is very large for Alaska since there is literally nothing else for hundreds of miles. There are however many other places around the world in a USDA Zone 2. Many areas in northern Europe, and Asia (northern Russia/Siberia) are in a Zone 2. Summers must be warm enough though for plants to grow sufficiently. In some places right near or in the Arctic that are usually a zone 1 but sometimes a zone 2 it doesn't get much above freezing in the Summer so even trees won't grow in these regions. In locations like Fairbanks You have several months that are frost free, and highs make it into the 60s-70s for several months. That is warm enough and long enough to grow trees as winters are cold to place it in a zone 2 (-50°F).

Trees 

(There are many cultivars for most of these trees, which includes dwarf shrub forms which are not listed under shrubs below)

 

 1. Blue Spruce (Picea pungens)

2. Engelmann Spruce (Picea engelmannii)

3. White Spruce (Picea glauca)

4. Black Spruce (Picea mariana)

5. Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana)

6. Scotch Pine (Pinus sylvestris)

7. Boxelder Maple (Acer negundo)

8. Amur Maple (Acer ginnala)

9. Chockcherry (Prunus virginiana)
Most popular variety is the Canada Red.

10. European White Birch (Betula pendula)

11. Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera)

12. Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides)

13. Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifera)

14. White Willow (Salix alba)

15. Tamarack (larix laricina)

Shrubs

1. Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea)

2. Mugo Pine (Pinus Mugo)

3. Ninebark (physocarpus opulifolius)

4. Common Juniper (Juniperus communis)

5. Bog Rosemary (Andromeda polifolia)

Fir Christmas Trees

Fir is undoubtly the most popular genus for Christmas trees! Soft needles, which has some of the best needle retention of any conifer makes a perfect Christmas tree! In this post I will be going into the top most popular species for Christmas trees.

(Below each description is the native range of that tree)

 

(Pictured above is Fraser Fir)

1. Fraser Fir (most popular Christmas tree in the U.S.)

Fraser Fir is a very popular Fir, millions are grown and millions are cut each year on tree farms across the Eastern US, it has a very small native range, and on top of that an invasive pest is killing the few trees that exist in the wild. The species is currently (as of December, 2019) set as "Endangered". There is also a national Christmas tree shortage, due to the recession that began in 2008 and lasted a few years after. Trees take 7-14 years to reach a desired size to sell as Christmas trees from the time of planting. Between 2008 and 2011 trees were planted much less than normal, and many farms simply went out of business. The effects first started to hit the consumer around 2016, it is still being felt as of the Christmas 2019 season. It will likely last a few more years into the early 2020s before many more trees will become available, and tree prices drop. Many (millions) of Fraser Firs are shipped from the same area in Western North Carolina across the country each year. It is not it's native range, but very close and the climate is virtually identical, so the trees perform at their absolute best with little problems. The problem with growing them in other really hot, or drier areas is that Fraser Firs are gentically adapted to rocky soils, and cool temps year round. Places in parts of the South and Midwest is much to hot and humid, and at times too much rain, or too much drought.

2. Canaan Fir (variety of Balsam Fir)

A variety is a tree that is gentically a certain species, but offers different gentic traits, but can reproduce in the wild unlike a cultivar which must be reproduced by means of cloning (root cuttings or graft). Canaan Fir is different from the regular Balsam Fir by exhibiting more tolerance to warmer climates (hotter summers, and slightly warmer winters) and tolerating clay soils and more rain which Fraser and regular Balsam Firs can not tolerate. Canaan Fir is still pretty rare and much unheard of, but in recent years is becoming much more popular for Christmas tree farms across the South, East, and Midwest for those specific reasons. Canaan Fir by appearance (unless by a professional botinist) can not be distinguished from regular Balsam fir. Canaan Fir looks and has the same physical attributes that everyone loves of Fraser Fir. So whether you get a Fraser, Balsam, or Canaan Fir you likely won't tell the difference, and if you can you won't care in the slightest. In the native range picture of Balsam Fir I have circled the native range of Canaan fir, which is thriving in the wild with only minimal pest issues, since it it native further south in the mountains. (native in USDA Zones 5b-6a) it is more tolerant of heat and areas not as cold as colder zones where regular Balsam Fir grows. While the regular Balsam Fir only grows in USDA Zones: 3-5, the Canaan Fir grows in USDA Zones 4-7.

3. White Fir

Concolor or White Fir has longer needles like a Pine, but are completely soft and have a blue hue to add a frosty look. When needles and branches are crushed they emit a fresh citrus smell. Native to the coastal mountains of the northwest, not too common as a Christmas tree in the East due to wet clay soils, and hot summers unlike in it's native range. Surprisingly though it does fine with clay soils (with aduquete drainage) and hot humid summers unlike other conifers from the same region grown East. So it is unfortunately greatly underused as a Christmas tree. Hardy in USDA Zones: 3-7.

4. Noble Fir

Also a native of the coastal mountains of the Northwestern US this tree looks very similar to Balsam, Fraser, and Canaan, but it's needle grow straight up to add a more compact look. Not tolerant to clay soils, high heat and humidity. So not too common as Christmas trees in the East, very commonly grown out west though. Hardy in USDA Zones: 5-6.

5. Nordmann fir

Nordmann Fir is native to a large part of Europe and is the number 1 Christmas tree for much of Europe. It is the Fraser Fir of Europe. Looks very similar to Balsam, Fraser, and Canaan Fir, and has all the same qualites of those that people want as a Christmas tree. Nordmann Fir likely has the best needle retention of any conifer, with Fraser Fir being a close second. This tree is known to hold needles for close to two months before dropping needles. While the most popular European Christmas tree in the US is Scotch Pine, it is Nordmann Fir in Europe, while Scotch Pine remains a good option if all else fails in Europe. Usually not grown in North America, and may be difficult to find this tree. You may have to have seeds shipped from overseas to grow some. They are hardy in USDA Zones: 4-7. Nordmann Firs are virtually pest and disease free, and perform well in clay soils, with hot/humid summers. They may be another good alternative to Fraser Fir, although not too much testing for growing these trees have been done in North America.

Types of Christmas Trees

Types of Christmas Trees

1. Balsam Fir, Fraser Fir, Canaan Fir 
   (Abies balsamea, Abies fraseri,
    Abies balsamea var. phanerolepis)

Best kind of Christmas tree! Best needle retention, 
very soft needles, holds older needles for up to 7 years for a more full look. 
(Zones 4-7 for Fraser and Canaan. Zones: 3-5 for Balsam) 

2. Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)

Very popular Christmas tree! Excellent needle retention,
 longer needles resembles more of a Pine, but are soft to the touch.
 (Zones 4-6)

3. Black Hills Spruce (Picea glauca 'Densata')

Great needle retention! Adds a Pine feel to the home! Sharp needles, 
use caution when handling. (Zones 2-7)

4. Leyland Cypress (Cupressus × leylandii)

Soft feathery type foliage. Excellent needle retention. 
Mostly grown in the deep South. (Zones 5-9)

5. Arizona Cypress (Cupressus arizonica)
    (Includes: Blue Ice, and Carolina Sapphire)

Blue snowy color adds a wintry feel to the home! 
Excellent needle retention! Very soft to the touch. 
Mostly grown in the deep South. (Zones 6-9)

6. Sand Pine (Pinus clausa)

This Subtropical Pine is a Florida native and adds a real Christmas Feel!
 Good needle retention. Grown exclusively in the deep South. (Zones 8-10)

7. Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla)

This is a true tropical Pine. Although not a true Pine, a conifer nonetheless.
 Grown only in frost free regions
 (South Florida, SoCal, and Hawaii to name a few places)
 Excellent needle retention. (Zones 10+)

8. Concolor Fir (Abies concolor)

Excellent Needle retention! When crushed needles and branches have a citrusy smell.
 Long soft needles to the touch. (Zones: 3-7)

9. Scotch Pine (Pinus sylvestris)

Best Pine tree as a Christmas tree! Excellent Needle retention!
 Strong Pine smell to spread through your home for the holidays!
 Only somewhat prickly. (Zones: 3-7)

10. Noble Fir (Abies procera)

Very similar to Balsam (Fraser and Canaan) Fir, 
but has upright curved needles that add a compact look, 
this makes Noble Fir more desirable for the holidays! 
Excellent needle retention!  (Zones: 5-6)

11.  White Pine (Pinus strobus)

Needles are the softest of any Pine. 
Long graceful feathery needles adds Christmas cheer to the home!
 Good needle retention. (Zones: 3-8)

12. Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)

Native to most of the Eastern US, 
adds a wonderful smell to fill the home for the Holidays! 
Excellent needle retention! While still grown up North, 
it is much more common in the Deep South as a Christmas tree. (Zones: 3-9)

Steeds Japanese Holly

Steeds Japanese Holly

Ilex crenata 'Steeds'

Steeds Japanese Holly is more cold hardy than the regular species through zone 5.
 Evergreen Boxwood appearance adds ornamental interest to the landscape. 
Large size makes a perfect focal point specimen, or many as a screen!

Hardiness: USDA Zones: 5-9

Mature Size: 8'-10' tall by 4'-5' wide

Light: Full Sun-Part Shade 

(Tolerant of full shade but becomes leggy and less dense overtime)

Water: Medium

Performs best in moist well draining soils. Good drought tolerance once established.

Soils: Prefers acidic soils. Tolerates neutral to slightly alkaline soils. 
If soil is high alkaline add HollyTone or acidic fertilizer to lower pH level.

Deciduous/Evergreen: Evergreen

Fox Valley River Birch

Fox Valley River Birch

Betula nigra 'Little King'

Fox Valley is a dwarf River Birch. Stays compact for tight spaces,
 yet still has that wonderful cinnamon white peeling bark! 
More tolerant to heat than the regular species. 

Hardiness: USDA Zones 4-9

Mature Size: 10'-12' tall and wide

Light: Full Sun

Water: Medium-Wet

Performs best in moist soils. Tolerant of minor drought, but suffers in consistently dry soils. 

Soils: Prefers acidic soils. Tolerates neutral to slightly alkaline soils. 
If soil is high alkaline add HollyTone or acidic fertilizer to lower pH level.
 Prefers moist or wet soils.

Deciduous/Evergreen: Deciduous

Sky Pencil Holly

Sky Pencil Holly

Ilex crenata 'Sky Pencil'

The Sky Pencil Holly is the perfect columnar broadleaf evergreen! 

Perfect for tight spaces, or right up against a foundation.

 It's perfect in planters as well!

Hardiness: USDA Zones 6-8 

(Protected locations in Zone 5)

Mature Size: 8'-10' tall by 1'-2' wide

Light: Full sun-Part Shade 

(Tolerant of shady sites, but becomes leggy and less dense overtime)

Water: Medium

Not drought tolerant when young, moderate drought tolerance once established

Soils: Prefers acidic soils 

Grows in most soils, but performs best in loamy well draining soil.
 It is best to apply HollyTone or acidic fertilizer if soil is alkaline.

Deciduous/Evergreen: Evergreen

How Plants are Made and Grown

If you aren't a botanist or a landscaper (many landscapers don't even know) then you probably do not know how many of the plants that are in commerce come into existence and how they are propagated. In this post I will try to sum up as much as I can so you have a better understanding, appreciation, and to try for your self of plant growing! The growers of the many beautiful and exotic plants that are out there don't just exist by planting a few seeds just picked off a tree. There are processes, and lots of time taken to have these plants to sell.


1. CULTIVAR VS VARIETY

Many people and professional businesses use cultivar and variety as the same. This is not true, in the plant world they are two different words with two different meanings. A cultivar is a genetic mutation happened upon or selected for a desired trait. It can only be propagated by rooting cuttings or grafting onto the rootstock of another plant. It will not come true from seed. The resulting plant will not have that desired trait as it can not be Inherited, it must be cloned as a form of propagation. That's right! Cultivars of the same name are genetically identical!
A variety on the other hand also has a genetic trait (or traits) that is not in the regular species that is desired for landscaping/gardening. What makes a variety different than a cultivar is that a variety can be propagated from seed. It can grow in the wild and still keep that genetic mutation.

EXAMPLE OF A VARIETY

1. Whitebud Redbud tree (Botanical Name: Cercis canadensis 'alba')

Whitebud Redbud is extremely rare in the wild, but the fact that it is capable of reproducing from seed and keeping those white instead of red flowers means it is a variety and not a cultivar.

EXAMPLES OF CULTIVARS

1. Amber Gold Arborvitae
2. Slender Silhouette Sweetgum

I follow plant peeps on Instagram, and one nursery I follow travels all around looking for plants with abnormalities to propagate. They came across what is believed to be a Green Giant Arborvitae which is a cultivar of a hybrid between the Japanese Arborvitae and the Western Arborvitae. They found golden branches growing on a tree next to normal green trees. Since this is a rare genetic mutation, it can not be inherited, and must be propagated by means of cloning (grafting, and rooting cuttings). They took the cuttings from that tree and are rooting them in soil with a rooting hormone to get them to root. Then if they choose, they can name this new cultivar. They can get a patent for it and sell it to other wholesalers to sell to nurseries which sells to the customer to grow in their landscape. It is a good way to get rich fast!


HYBRIDS:

Hybrids are a cross between two plants that are within the same genus or are gentically similar enough to cross if not in the same genus. An example of hybrids not in the same genus is how a mule is made. It is a hybrid between a horse and a donkey. They are two different "genus" but are gentically similar enough to cross. The pollen from one species pollinates the flower of another. The seeds will germinate to be a hybrid between the two species. Growers can even develop Cultivars of hybrids. An example is the 'Armstrong Gold' Freeman's Maple. The Freeman's Maple is a hybrid between Red Maple (Acer rubrum) and Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum). 'Armstrong Gold' was selected for its extremely columnar growth and golden orange leaves instead of Red leaves which forms on regular Freeman's Maples. It makes a perfect street tree because it's branches don't spread and hit people, cars, and buildings.


You can also have Cultivars of Cultivars. A good example is Amber Gold Arborvitae. Amber Gold is a golden sport of the Emerald Green Arborvitae. The Emerald Green Arborvitae is a dwarf narrow cultivar of the Eastern Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) Which is a tree that naturally grows 30'-75' tall and wide. It is a coniferous evergreen.


I hope this post helped you all understand where and how plants you love come to be!

Happy Growing! 🌿








FIRST 4 IMAGES ARE OF THE NURSERY ON INSTAGRAM I MENTIONED

NEXT 3 PICTURES ARE OF AMBER GOLD ARBORVITAE, WHITEBUD REDBUD TREE, AND SLENDER SILHOUETTE SWEETGUM TREE

Adam's Needle Yucca

Adam’s Needle Yucca

Yucca filamentosa

Adam’s Needle Yucca is one of the most cold hardy Yuccas there is! 

Suited all the way to USDA Zone 4, adding tropical lush to your northern climate!

 Yucca is an evergreen related to Aloe and Palm, it is extremely drought tolerant.

Hardiness: USDA Zones 4-10

Mature Size: 4’-6’ tall by 3’-4’ wide 

(flower stalks may reach 10’ tall, and spreads aggressively by rhizomes)

Light: Full Sun-Part shade

(Performs best in full sun)

Water: Dry-Medium 

(Excellent drought tolerance, perfect for xeriscapes. 

Very tolerant of clay soils, so long as adequate drainage is available) 

Soils: Not particular with specific pH level. 

Grows in most soils, including poor soils. Not tolerant of wet soils

Deciduous/Evergreen: Evergreen

Grey Owl Juniper

Grey Owl Juniper

Juniperus virginiana 'Grey Owl'

Grey Owl is a dwarf low growing cultivar of the Indiana Native Eastern Red Cedar

 (actually a Juniper). Very drought tolerant. Makes a perfect ground cover

 or low growing hedge. Prized for its blue color!

Hardiness: USDA Zones 4-9 

(zone 3 in protected locations)

Mature Size: 3' tall by 6' wide

Light: Full Sun

Water: Dry-Medium 

Excellent drought tolerance once established. 

Tolerant of some moist sites, but does not tolerate any wet sites.

Soils: Not particular with specific pH level. Grows in poor soils.

Deciduous/Evergreen: Evergreen