Mobile Seed and Supply used to offer all the plants you've listed, I sure miss them!
Here are my favs that I've never seen at a nursery:

Psuederanthemum alatum, aka Chocolate Soldier, beautiful leaves!

Begonias, I've found very few at nurseries, most of mine were grown from leaf cuttings acquired from other gardeners.

Alternanthera bettzichiana, again, it's that FOLIAGE that gets me.

Akebia quinata

Alstroemeria psittacina and A.p. 'Variegata'

Cerinthe major

Chelone lyonii

Well, that's enough for now, I'll continue this when my visitors leave! TTFN

Mobile Seed and Supply used to offer all the plants you've listed, I sure miss them!
Here are my favs that I've never seen at a nursery:

Psuederanthemum alatum, aka Chocolate Soldier, beautiful leaves!

Begonias, I've found very few at nurseries, most of mine were grown from leaf cuttings acquired from other gardeners.

Alternanthera bettzichiana, again, it's that FOLIAGE that gets me.

Akebia quinata

Alstroemeria psittacina and A.p. 'Variegata'

Cerinthe major

Chelone lyonii

Well, that's enough for now, I'll continue this when my visitors leave! TTFN

Nigella, Goodness Grows in Lexington, Georgia, has the akebia and chelone. I can vouch that they're a really good nursery. They don't have a web site, but here's their # if you want to order a catalog. I think they close for the winter around Dec 15 or 16 and don't open again until March. 706/743-5055. They don't list Confederate rose in the catalog, but ask them about it if you call. They have a good bit of stuff they don't list in the catalog.

I love my turks cap also. Its still blooming but tonight's frost might get it. I would be glad to share 4'oclock seeds. I also enjoyed my humming birdplant. Some call it a fire cracker plant. Large leaves bright red spikes on a stalk. Please use common names whenever you can. I'm learning.

Blooms38, common names can be very confusing and misleading. It's fun to learn the Latin names, now that you have Google to help you! Just type in the Latin name that you don't know as your search word and do an image search. Two clicks of the mouse and VOILA!

Here's a google search on your firecracker plant, Russelia equisetiformis! (At least I assume this is the plant you mean.)

Here is a link that might be useful: Firecracker plant

The description makes me think more of Odontonema stricta than Russellia equisetifolia. Odontonema stricta often goes by the English name "Firespike" or "Mexican Firespike" but I'm sure somewhere along the line it's possible that somebody misunderstood or forgot the name they got with it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Odontonema stricta

Blooms, I like that Firecrack plant as well, but alas, it is not winter hardy here in Birmingham so I had to keep it in a pot and bring it in before frost.

After looking ar your page, I can agree with you that some plants in my yard always remind me of who gave them to me or where they came from.

When we bought our first house, I just had to fill the back yard with all kinds of plants I saw from traveling around. One of the first things I wanted, in addition to the Confederate Rose was a Chinaberry tree, after seeing them in bloom driving through Georgia. I soon changed my mind on that after talking to a few plant experts.

Meeting people through the Botantical Gardens is a great way to get Passalong plants and then each plant in your landscape will have a story or a face behind it.

Have fun learning all the Latin names, but enjoy the common ones too.

Doug

The firecracker plant you are talking about may be Anisacanthus wrightii-it is also sometimes called a hummingbird plant (and is winter hardy here). I just got one and can't wait for it to bloom next year!
This is a fun post-thanks for starting it! I am a newbie, so I don't have many favorites, but one that I do love is the sourwood tree.
Michelle

Doug, I have all the plants that you listed. We have a Spring and Fall plant swap that meets at Oak Mt. From our members you can find just about any plant you want. If not interested in the swap, you can EMail me and I will try to get you some of the plants. I allso live in B'ham.

Hey Tony, I might have to join you guys for the next plant swap. I've got plenty of bee balm, cannas. elephant ears, rose campion, montbretia, yarrow, wild agerateum, ferns, phlox, and especially Turk's Cap to share. That stuff spreads like crazy but it is one of my top favorites.

In fact I presently have all of the plants I mentioned except for the Confederate Rose. And all of them came from someone else as passalongs. That was the point I was making is that the only way to get a lot of our favorite plants is to have someone pass them along to you.

Others I received that way include a chaste tree, umbrella magnolia, Coral Bean, etc. I guess I could have called this Favorite Passalongs instead.

My main frustration was that when I twice tried to purchase Confederate Rose from nurseries, I ended up with something other than what I was looking for. It was a hibiscus but not the double cotton candy blooms I was looking for. I've got one more try coming up and next season we will see what it does.

By the way, who knew there were so many Firespike plants out there. Now I want to get all three of them and see which one does the best. Just when you think you could not possibly need another plant in your yard, you hear about a new one.

Doug

Definitely Turks Cap hibiscus. The hummingbirds love it.
Confederate Rose. I have dbl white to pink, I have dbl pink and I have single deep pink. Love them all. I love the native oakleaf hydrangeas and native azaleas.

Doug, I have some confederate roses in water right now growing roots, I got a bunch from my garden buddy Deb when they get ready to go in the pot I will save you one or two if you want them, I'm still learning about them. Let me know if you want some. I will save them for the spring swap for you.
Jill

Great thread, and thanks for starting. One of my newest favorites is actually considered a wildflower I think. It's blackberry lily or Belamcanda chinensis. We found some on our property a few years ago which I successfully moved.
Michelle, I like the sourwood tree also. I found some sourwood honey in Tennessee which is (correction - was) delicious. Apparently some people grow groves of the trees specifically for the honey. Sounds bad from the name, but it's great.
I also love oak leaf hydrangea (although many nurseries carry those around here) and the wild sumac (can't resist that red color in the fall).

A few of mine that aren't normally offered are:

Canavalia gladiata (sword bean)
Ipomoea fistulosa (morning glory bush)
Manihot grahamii (hardy tapioca)
Poncirus trifoliata, esp. 'Flying Dragon' (hardy orange)
Tetrapanax papyrifera (rice paper plant)

This thread is making me wish for spring already!! In the meantime, I hope everyone has a very merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Nelson

Top five? First would be Hymenocallis 'White Spider Lily'...someone gave me a clump probably 25 years ago. I see them now listed in bulb catalogs but none seem as large and beautiful. Sadly I've since moved and only have one large container now.

Phyllostachys nigra, Black-stemmed Bamboo. I asked about ths at a nursery years ago. The nurseryman dug up some for me from an old estate he maintained, warning me that it might become a problem. But it made a lovely grove, easily kept in check by thinning every year for the oh-so-useful and deep charcoal stems. Also brought pots of the Bamboo with me!

Hibiscus coccineus...another I see mentioned more often now. The delicate leaves remind me of my beloved Japanese Maples, and the blossoms astound everyone. 8 inches wide and stoplight red! Loves moist soil...known as Swamp Hibiscus.

Cyperus alternifolius, the Umbrella Plant. Have never seen this in local nurseries until recently when water gardens became more popular. Hardy here and will grow in water or just moist soil. Also great as house plant. I just love the form.

When I saw the title of this post, I thought immediately of Pokesalad (I think it's Phytolacca?). I grow this among my Cannas, red-leaved Castoroil plants, Elephant Ears, and Coleus to add a little extra gaudiness! Deep scarlet trunk, 8 feet tall, dripping with big green berries and later, as they deepen to purple... to see the Mockingbird pirouetting in midair to grab those berries... what's not to like? LOL josh

I'm definiteley getting some great ideas for new plants here, thanks everyone.

LOML680 - That would be great to get a couple of Confederate Roses at the Swap. Thanks for sharing. I'll start making my list right now of stuff I can bring.

Looking forward to it.

Doug

Each Spring I look forward to the blooming of all the wildflowers around our house. It is amazing the variety, form and color of these plants. My favorites would probably be:

Oak Leaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea Quercifolia)
Spiderwort (Tradescantia Nirsuticaulis)
Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia Hirta)
Indian Blanket (Gallardia Pulchella)
Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera Sempervirens)

Hope I got the spelling right on these. I R not a typist.

RJ

Greenjeans, when I replied, I meant to ask if you needed some Confederate rose. I was re-reading and I realized I had not asked. I was so sure I had asked, I kept waiting on a reply. I'm getting that CRS disease. You are welcomed to some cuttings if you want them. - Terry

Banana shrub
Hardy hibiscus-all I can find are the tropical kind here
Brugmansia-found them at a flea market but never a nursery
Crinums
Hardy bananas
Confederate Rose-a local nursery has them close to Huntsville! I got one last year, love it but I've never seen them for sale anywhere else.

Terry, that would be great thank you. When would be a good time to plant them? Perhaps in the spring?

Do you need anything ? As you can guess by now, I highly recommend the Turks Cap.

By the way, does anyone recommend a good mail order for those Fire Cracker or Fire Spike plants? I might have to try those this upcoming season.

Doug

If it is the firecracker plant I mentioned, Petals from the Past carries it, as does Plant Delights in NC. Make sure you take the scientific name to Petals though; they have it under a different common name. I am going to try to propagate it in the spring; if successful I will have some at the swap.
Michelle

Spigelia marilandica
Silene virginiana
I dug up both of these from the roadside. They are easy to grow.

Susan

Please tell me more about the swap in Birmingham. I live in Montgomery, but it sounds like it would be worth the trip. Unfortunately, all I have to trade right now are some cannas that have a combo red/yellow bloom and some cast iron plant(aspidistra). I have no idea what the name of the cannas are - they came with the house.

Rae

Oh, I have tons of monkey grass that I can dig up, but would anyone really want that?