18 unusual plants for an unusual garden or as house plants
Plants can be the usual or unusual! We’re tired of the boring type so we purchase some very unusual plants! Most are for the garden but some would adapt just fine as house plants.
Have you heard of Bloodroot, Fringe Tree, Ginger (European, Japanese and North American), Inkberry, Ramps, Wahoo, and Witch-hazel? Sounds weird? Well, we bough a heirloom, Belle of Georgia Peach tree too!
In this purchase we added several plants that are NOT edible; however, they are interesting and some are rare! They’ll add diversity and color. Heck, if they grow really well we can sell them! 😉
Find the plant you’re interested in below and keep learning! Here is our YouTube video featuring all 18 unusual plants. please subscribe!
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List of 18 unusual plants
#1 Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis
About Bloodroot
this unusual plant is also known as Canada Puccoon, Bloodwort, Redroot, Red Puccoon, Black Paste, and Blood Root. Bloodroot is a perennial that’s native to North America.
Zone: 3 to 8
Height: 1/2 to 3/4 feet
Bloom Time: March to April
Sun: Part shade to full shade
Water: Medium
Tolerate: Drought, Dry Soil, Black Walnut
Unusual plants — garden or house plant
Bloodroot grows in organically rich woods, shaded slopes and along streams. they are rhizomatous so they spread over time to form large colonies on the forest floor. or, slowly spread through your unusual garden!
Bloodroot tolerates deep shade. grow it as a ground cover in a native garden or pollinator garden.
it attracts bees and songbirds. it has no serious pest or disease problems. seeds are spread by ants (a process called myrmecochory).
Native American uses
this unusual plant was used by at least seven Native American tribes.
the Algonquin used it as a “Love Medicine.” Bloodroot was used as a love charm and red dye for skin, clothing and weapons. the Algonquin used rhizomes to make a medicinal tonic, and the Chippewa used the plant medicinally too.
Caution
“Bloodroot plants have been advertised to impart a wide range of medical properties, and many bloodrood-containing products are commercially available. Potential side effects of bloodroot products include significant tissue destruction, escarification, and keloid formation” (NIH/PubMed, Bloodroot).
the US Food and Drug Administration listed two Bloodroot products as “Fake Cancer ‘Cures’ Consumers Should Avoid“.
poison severity is high. Bloodroot contains Isoquinoline alkaloids. Poison symptoms include nausea, vomiting, faintness, dizziness, dilated pupils, fainting, diarrhea, and heart failure.
pets and livestock are at moderate risk — it looks like most of our furry friends are smart enough 😉
#2 Butternut, Juglans cinerea
Butternut fruit
Butternut is sweet, mid-flavored, oily, and edible. the edible nut is encased in an outer husk that is oblong, and 1-2 inches long. they mature from September to October. Butternut fruit may be single or in clusters of 2 to 5 nuts at the branch tips.
nuts are especially popular in New England for making maple-butternut candy.
About Butternut
this garden plant / tree is also known as Butter Nut, Lemon Nut, Oil Nut, and White Walnut. Butternut is a deciduous tree that’s native to North America.
Zone: 3 to 7
Height: 40 to 60 feet
Bloom Time: May to June
Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Tolerate: Rabbit, Drought
Unusual plants — garden tree
Butternut is a tree. it’s unusual in that you’ve all heard of walnuts, hazelnut and pecans.
it grows in moist bottomlands, along streams, rich woods, lowland forests, and some drier limestone soils in eastern and midwestern North America.
also, Butternut is endangered in its native range due to butternut canker disease and overharvesting.
grow the Butternut to support diversity; however, disease may claim this tree. Canker has no cure, and it may also suffer from blight. potential insects include wood borers, nut weevils, lace bugs, husk flies, bark beetles, and butternut curculio. your yard MAY be perfectly safe and growing this lovely plant will make a difference.
Butternut requires full sun. unpruned, she’ll get tall. plant as a shade tree (but be mindful of the large nut fruits).
it attracts pollinators, small mammals, and birds.
Native American uses
this unusual garden tree was used by at least six Native American tribes.
Butternut was used extensively for food and dye. however, the Cherokee and Iroquois also made a juice that they used for toothaches.
the Iroquois used nut meat oil mixed with bear grease and used as a preventive for mosquitoes. They also made a decoction of shoots that was taken as a laxative and for venereal disease.
#3 Chokeberry: Black ‘Ground Hug’ Chokeberry, Aronia melanocarpa
About Black ‘Ground Hug’ Chokeberry
Aronia Berry is the most common name. this garden plant is also known as Apple Berry, Aronia, Black Berried Aronia, and Chokeberry. Chokeberry is a deciduous shrub that’s native to North America.
Zone: 3 to 8
Height: 8 to 14 inches
Bloom Time: May
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Tolerate: Wet Soil
Unusual plants — garden plant
this unusual plant hugs the ground! whereas the ‘normal’ Black Chokeberry grows 3 to 6 feet, Ground Hug Black Chokeberry grows 8-14″ tall and spreads up to 3 foot wide.
we ADORE the Black Chokeberry (Aronia). this ‘girl’ is a medically confirmed SUPERFRUIT. the fruit is LOADED with antioxidants. NO water is needed once they are established. we have NO disease and NO pests, grow compact, and are adaptable to soils. and, they bloom beautifully in spring and have colorful leaves in fall.
here’s our Chokeberry (Aronia) Plant Guide.
here’s our YouTube Playlist for all things Chokeberry (Aronia)!
Native American uses
the Native American Ethnobotany lists only two Native American tribes who ate the fruit. i’m sure there’s more. additionally, the Potawatomi made an infusion of berries used as a cold remedy.
#4 Chokeberry: Red 'Brilliantissima' Chokeberry, Aronia arbutifolia
About the Red 'Brilliantissima' Chokeberry
the Red Chokeberry is related to the Aronia Berry (Black Chokeberry). the fruit is edible too. however, like the Black Chokeberry, Red Chokeberry fruit is excellent fruit in a smoothie. the fruit is tart’ish and bitter’ish. Chokeberry is a deciduous shrub that’s native to North America.
Zone: 4 to 9
Height: 6 to 8 feet
Bloom Time: April
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Tolerate: Erosion & clay soil
Unusual plants — garden plant
‘Brilliantissima’ is a cultivar of the Red Chokeberry, Aronia arbutifolia.
‘Brilliantissima’ typically grows slowly to 6-8′ tall and is perhaps most noted for its attractive glossy red berries and red fall foliage color. It primarily differs from the species Aronia arbutifolia by (1) being more compact, (2) producing more lustrous foliage with superior red fall color and (3) producing larger, glossier and more abundant fruit (Missouri Botanical Garden).
Chokeberry plants (Black, Purple or Red) are low maintenance plants. at HEPPY™, they are pest & disease free. NO water is needed once they are established. they’re relatively slow growing and very little pruning is needed. and, they bloom beautifully in spring. colorful fall leaves is normal but ‘Brilliantissima’ takes it to another level. we LOVE Chokeberry as a garden plant.
here’s our Chokeberry (Aronia) Plant Guide.
here’s our YouTube Playlist for all things Chokeberry (Aronia)!
#5 Franklin Tea Tree, Franklinia alatamaha
About Franklinia Tea Tree
Franklinia Tea Tree, Franklinia alatamaha is also known as Franklinia or Franklin Tree.
in Europe, it’s species name is often known as Gordonia pubescens. there’s an unsettled academic dispute over the genus and official name :/. the Franklinia tree is a deciduous shrub or small tree that WAS native to North America.
Zone: 5 to 8
Height: 10 to 20 feet
Bloom Time: July to August
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
CANNOT Tolerate: excessive wet roots
Unusual plants — garden or house plant
Franklinia alatamaha is extinct in the wild since 1803! it was native to only the Altamaha River valley in Georgia, United States. how’s that for unusual plants!
i listed SEVEN reasons why the Franklinia is the MOST unusual North American plant.
its flowers are special. it’s 3″ large and sweetly-fragrant flowers contrast beautifully with it’s lush green foliage. flowers are sweetly-fragrance and cup shaped. Fall colors include shades of orange, maroon, burgundy, purple, lavender and red, including bright red.
Why tea? Clinical research found that leaves of the Franklinia has compounds similar to green tea, Camellia sinensis. Catechins is the SUPER beneficial antioxidant agents in Green Tea. Green Tea is “widely known for its anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties.” our webpage explores Dr. Hassan Amjad’s research. he was a medical doctor from Beckley, West Virginia.
caring for the Franklinia is challenging, from what I hear. in 2022, we’ve purchased very large and small specimens. we’ll use all the advice i’ve gathered and … we’ll see!
here’s our Franklinia Tea Tree Plant / Grow Guide.
#6 Fringe Tree, Chionanthus virginicus
Native American uses
the Choctaw and Koasati native tribes used the roots or bark to dress cuts and bruises, and to wash infected cuts and wounds.
About the Fringe Tree
this garden plant is also known as the American Fringetree, Grancy Greybeard, Old Man’s Beard, Sweetheart Tree, and White Fringetree. Fringe Tree is a deciduous shrub or small tree that’s native to North America. note that the Chionanthus retusus is the Chinese Fringe Tree. it is native to Asia.
Zone: 3 to 9
Height: 12 to 20 feet
Bloom Time: May to June
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Tolerate: Clay Soil, Black Walnut, Air Pollution
Unusual plants — garden or house plant
Fringe Trees are unusual plants because it’s SO spectacular yet it’s virtually unknown. it adapts to being potted too!
flowers are showy and fragrant. it flowers best in full sun but the foliage is richer if it receives some shade. flowers are produced on previous years growth (keep that in mind when pruning). ivory to white colored clusters are 4 to 8 inches long. the male flowers are showier than female flowers due to longer petals, however, both male and female trees are striking in bloom.
it grows in rich moist bottomlands, along streams, rich woods, lowland forests, and in limestone bluffs & ledges. the Fringe Tree grows as a multi-stemmed plant. it’s canopy is generally rounded, and it grows moderately-to-slow.
it fruits! however, these unusual plants are either male and female plants (dioecious). if pollinated, female flowers produce clusters of olive-like fruits which ripen to a dark, bluish black from July to September. the fruit is pickled like olives. the fruit are called drupes. they have 1 to 3 seeds.
Chionanthus virginicus attracts pollinators, small mammals and songbirds. the Fringe Tree has some susceptibility to scale and borers (particularly when grown in dry locations). it is sometimes attacked by the Emerald Ash Borer.
#7 Ginger: European Ginger, Asarum europaeum
About European Ginger
this garden plant is also known as Asarabacca and European Wild Ginger. European Ginger is a perennial or evergreen that’s native to central and western Asia, and Europe.
Zone: 4 to 7
Height: 4 to 6 inches
Bloom Time: April to May (bloom at ground level)
Sun: Part shade to full shade
Water: Medium to wet
Tolerate: Deer, Black Walnut
Unusual plants — garden or house plant
European Ginger grows in moist, well-drained organically rich woodlands. it enjoys the shade, including full shade.
the leaves are dark green and glossy. it’s growth habit is low, and it spreads 12 to 16 inches. it’s a perfect unusual garden plant for shady areas, rock gardens and borders. however, it can be grown as a house plant too.
the ‘flower’ is not noticeable. European Ginger’s bell-shaped blooms emerge at ground level. they’re covered by the leaves. only slugs or snails MAY affect this plant.
Root has a mild ginger aroma. BE CAREFUL: The plant is poisonous in large doses; however, the toxin is neutralized by drying (pfaf.org).
Asaroon is the root of Asarum europaeum. it is “commonly used in Unani medicines for its various pharmacological actions” (NIH/PubMed article). Unani or Unani tibb is an Arabian or Islamic traditional medicine practice.
#8 Ginger: Japanese Ginger, Asarum kumageanum
About Japanese Ginger
rare plants are unusual plants. and this Lil’ Lady is rare. VERY little is written about it. Japanese Ginger is a perennial or evergreen that’s native to Japan (and perhaps, native to only the small island, Yakushima).
Zone: unknown; possibly, 6 to 9
Height: no more than 12 inches
Bloom Time: unknown (possibly, October to March)
Sun: unknown (likely, part shade to full shade)
Water: likely, Medium
Unusual plants — garden or house plant
Japanese Ginger, Asarum kumageanum is a rare plant. i found little information about it.
it grows on Yakushima Island, Japan. Yakushima has a similar latitude as Southern Georgia however, it’s basically a little 6,300 foot mountain in the ocean. Yakushima Island is known for its rich subtropical evergreen forests.
in general, Japanese Ginger grows in a temperate biome. temperate biomes are an area between the tropics and the polar regions.
more specifically, a Montane (or, Mountane) forest is its habitat. Montane forests are found in higher elevation plateaus and mountains. elevations are 6,000 to 9,500 feet (1,850 to 2,900 meters). these forests are adapted to cold winters, and warm to cool summers.
like the European Ginger, Japanese Ginger has green and glossy leaves, and low growth habit. however, Japanese Ginger leaves are larger and triangular (deltate).
also, the ‘flower’ is not noticeable. Japanese Ginger’s bell-shaped blooms emerge at ground level. they’re covered by the leaves. only slugs or snails MAY affect this plant.
#9 Ginger: Wild Ginger, Asarum canadense
About Wild Ginger
this garden plant is also known as Canadian Wild Ginger, Common Wild Ginger, Canadian Snakeroot, and Broad-leaved Asarabacca. Wild Ginger is a perennial that’s native to North America.
Zone: 4 to 6
Height: 1/2 to 1 feet
Bloom Time: April to May
Sun: Part shade to full shade
Water: Medium to wet
Tolerate: Deer, Heavy Shade, Erosion, Wet Soil
Unusual plants — garden or house plant
Wild Ginger grows in moist, well-drained organically rich woods and wooded slopes. like Bloodroot, Wild Ginger is rhizomatous and will slowly spread over time to form colonies — on the forest floor or in your unusual garden!
fresh or dried roots were used by early Americans as a ginger substitute, but the plant is not normally used today for culinary purposes. the root has an aromatic smell like mild pepper and ginger mixed, but more strongly aromatic. autumn is the best time to harvest Wild Ginger, but can be harvested all year round. roots can be dried for later use. BE CAREFUL: The leaves are poisonous. Asarum canadense leaves may cause dermatitis (pfaf.org).
Asarum canadense prefers constantly moist, acidic soils in heavy shade. it tolerates wet soils (and has poor drought tolerance).
as with the European and Japanese Gingers, the flower is a bell-shaped bloom that emerges at ground level. blooms are often covered by the leaves. only slugs or snails MAY affect this plant.
Native American uses
the Native American Ethnobotany lists four Native American tribes who used Wild Ginger, Asarum canadense. the typical use was for colds and fever! however, the Chippewa used it for fragrance — using slightly roasted roots into a powder and sprinkling it on clothing for perfume.
#10 Inkberry 'Shamrock', Ilex glabra
About the Inkberry 'Shamrock'
this garden plant is also known as the Inkberry Holly, Appalachian Tea, Dye-leaves, Evergreen Winterberry, and Gallberry. Inkberry is an evergreen shrub that’s native to North America.
Zone: 4 to 9
Height: 3 to 4 feet (slightly shorter than the Inkberry ‘Compacta’)
Bloom Time: May to June
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium to wet
Tolerate: Rabbit, Deer, Erosion, Wet Soil, Air Pollution
Unusual plants — garden plant
Inkberries are unusual plants because they tolerate full sun and shade, wet soil, are evergreens, and the ‘Shamrock’ Inkberry is a beautifully compact & rounded shrub.
it’s native to the coastal plains, from Nova Scotia to Florida to Louisiana. it is most commonly found in sandy woods and peripheries of swamps and bogs. Inkberry is moderately salt-tolerant and adaptable to both light and heavy soils.
however, it prefers acidic soils. avoid neutral to alkaline soils!
this garden pant is either male and female plants (dioecious). inconspicuous greenish-white flowers appear in spring. if pollinated, female flowers produce pea-sized, jet black inkberries (drupes). fruit mature in the fall and will hang on the plant throughout winter, or until small mammals or songbirds consume the berries.
Inkberry honey is highly-rated, and produced in certain parts of the Southeastern US.
Ilex glabra attracts bees, butterflies and other pollinators. small mammals and birds can use the Inkberry’s compact and dense growth for shelter habitat.
Native American uses
it is written that dried and roasted inkberry leaves were first used by Native Americans to brew a black tea-like drink (Appalachian Tea). roasted inkberry leaves was a “good substitute for yaupon tea (which is from the Yaupon Holly, Ilex vomitoria). however, i could not confirm the claim using the Native American Ethnobotany database.
#11 Inkberry 'Compacta', Ilex glabra
About the Inkberry 'Compacta'
this garden plant is also known as the Inkberry Holly, Appalachian Tea, Dye-leaves, Evergreen Winterberry, and Gallberry. Inkberry is an evergreen shrub that’s native to North America.
Zone: 4 to 9
Height: 4 to 6 feet (slightly taller than the Inkberry ‘Shamrock’)
Bloom Time: May to June
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium to wet
Tolerate: Rabbit, Deer, Erosion, Wet Soil, Air Pollution
Unusual plants — garden plant
Inkberries are unusual plants because they tolerate full sun and shade, wet soil, are evergreens, and the ‘Compacta’ Inkberry is a beautifully compact & rounded shrub.
the ‘Compacta’ grows a little taller than the ‘Shamrock’.
it’s native to the coastal plains, from Nova Scotia to Florida to Louisiana. it is most commonly found in sandy woods and peripheries of swamps and bogs. Inkberry is moderately salt-tolerant and adaptable to both light and heavy soils.
however, it prefers acidic soils. avoid neutral to alkaline soils!
this garden pant is either male and female plants (dioecious). inconspicuous greenish-white flowers appear in spring. if pollinated, female flowers produce pea-sized, jet black inkberries (drupes). fruit mature in the fall and will hang on the plant throughout winter, or until small mammals or songbirds consume the berries.
Inkberry honey is highly-rated, and produced in certain parts of the Southeastern US. Ilex glabra attracts bees, butterflies and other pollinators pollinators. small mammals and birds can use the Inkberry’s compact and dense growth for shelter habitat.
#12 Italian Arum, Arum italicum
About Italian Arum
this garden plant is also known as the Cuckoo’s Pint, Italian Lily, Italian Lords and Ladies, and Orange Candle Flower. Italian Arum is an perennial or evergreen that’s native to Southern and Western Europe.
Zone: 5 to 9
Height: 1 to 1 1/2 feet
Bloom Time: April to May
Sun: Part shade to full shade
Water: Medium
Tolerate: Heavy Shade, Wet Soil
Unusual plants — garden or house plant
Italian Arum is an unusual garden plant because it’s relatively rare, tolerates full shade and wet soil, and foliage goes dormant in summer in all climates! it can be grown as a house plant too.
Arum italicum prefers medium moist organically rich soil, in part shade to full shade. it grows wild in woodlands on the forest-floor plant.
Italian Arum can spread rapidly and MAY be difficult to control.
it resembles the North American native, Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema tryphyllum). Italian Arum’s flower has a central spadix and is surrounded by a creamy white-colored spathe. after the flowers are spent, the foliage will wither. Arum italicum then produces clusters of berries that are initially green and then transition to orangish-red that remain through August.
arrow-shaped deep glossy green foliage with white veining appear in late September or early October. It is present through the winter months. the hood-like flowers usually appear in April and May.
CAUTION: this plant is highly toxic. it has calcium oxalate crystals. ingesting any part of this plant may lead to symptoms of throat and tongue swelling. this may cause increased difficulty breathing and result in possible death. physical contact with this plant can cause skin irritation (NC State University, NC Extension).
#13 Peach: Belle of Georgia Peach, Prunus persica
About the Belle of Georgia Peach
this garden plant is also known as the Flowering Peach, Ornamental Peach and Common Peach. the Belle of Georgia peach tree is a deciduous tree that’s native to China and East Asia.
Zone: 5 to 8
Height: 15 to 25 feet
Bloom Time: March to April
Bloom Description: Pink
Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Unusual plants — garden tree
the most usual things was this it cost $12 or so, and it was in a 5 gallon pot!
the Belle of Georgia peach tree produces a white peach (the flesh is white, rather than yellow). it’s my experience that white peaches are sweeter. we like sweet. the fruit is ‘freestone,’ which means that the flesh doesn’t cling to the seed (when you open the fruit). also, it’s self-fertile, so she can be planted in a location without concern for cross-pollination with another peach tree.
this cultivar is commonly referred to as a “old-fashioned Georgia peach.” it’s a classic heirloom peach discovered by Lewis A. Rumph of Marshallville, Georgia, in 1870. it’s a heavy producer which made it a prominent peach by the end of the century (Trees of Antiquity).
Peach trees, Prunus persica prefer full sun and well draining soil. Prunus persica grow fast in high organic soils.
Belle of Georgia peach trees are disease resistant to bacterial leaf spot and brown rot. however, peach trees are susceptible to a large number of serious pest problems. in many cases, a regular regimen of chemical spraying is needed in order to insure harvesting a good crop.
Potential disease problems include peach leaf curl, brown rot, bacterial leaf spot and canker. Potential insect problems include peach tree borer, plum curculio, oriental fruit moth, root nematodes, mites and aphids. Very cold winter temperatures and late spring frosts often cause significant damage to the buds/flowers of peaches (Missouri Botanical Garden).
#14 Ramps, Allium tricoccum
About Ramps
this unusual garden plant is also known as the Ramp, Ramson, Spring Onion, Wild Leek, Wood Leek, or Wild Garlic. Ramps are a perennial that’s native to North America.
Zone: 5 to 9
Height: 1/2 to 1 foot
Bloom Time: June to August
Sun: Part shade to full shade
Water: Medium
Tolerate: Heavy Shade, Deer
Unusual plants — garden or house plant
Ramps are unusual plants because they’re an ephemeral species. their lifespan lasts only a few weeks or months. also, they are relatively difficult to find for sale.
Allium tricoccum grow in part shade to full shade, in organically rich, moist deciduous forests. they grow from a conical bulb and in spring, 2-3 leaves on purplish stems unfurl that are tulip-like in shape. just as the leaves begin to die back a cluster of many small white flowers appear on a leafless stem. each flower produces a single black seed that may take 2 years to germinate. the plant also spreads by bulblet formation.
Ramps are best grown in shady areas with damp soil throughout the year and highly organic soil with plenty of decomposed leaf litter. they do well under deciduous trees where they can get some sun until the trees leaf out. they tolerate full to partial shade and medium-wet to medium-dry soil. plant bulbs about 3 inches deep (NC State University, NC Extension).
Ramps are eaten as an early Spring vegetable. bulbs have a mild sweet flavor, resembling leeks. use Allium tricoccum as flavoring in salads and savory dishes. in spring, leaves are eaten. they have a mild sweet flavor, resembling leeks. and flowers are used as a garnish on salads.
Native American uses
the Native American Ethnobotany lists many Native American tribes that used Ramps, Allium tricoccum. the Cherokee boiled, fried and ate young plants, and bulbs and leaves were cooked like poke, with or without eggs. Menominee, Ojibwa and Potawatomi tribes used gathered Ramps in spring and dried it for future / winter use.
#15 Red Mulberry, Morus rubra
About Red Mulberry
this unusual garden tree is truly one-of-a-kind — it’s the Red Mulberry. Red Mulberry is a deciduous tree that’s native to North America.
Zone: 4 to 8
Height: 35 to 50 feet
Bloom Time: March to April
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Tolerate: Drought, Air Pollution
Unusual plants — garden tree
Red Mulberries are unusual plants because they are rare in the wild, and only one of two Mulberries native to North America.
it grows in rich, moist, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. like all fruiting trees, it grows best in full sun.
our Red Mulberry fruit tastes like raspberry. fruit size is not as large as White & Black Mulberry cultivars. Morus rubra is VERY adaptable (to soil, light, moisture conditions). it has no disease or pest issues. TWO issues may be self-seeding and, don’t plant a any Mulberry tree near walkways, driveways, etc. unless you want red, squishy pavement ;). the Red Mulberry attracts butterflies, small mammals and birds. it’s an excellent source of wildlife food.
Here’s our full Mulberries Plant Guide
YouTube Playlist for Mulberries
Native American uses
the Native American Ethnobotany lists at least 8 Native American tribes used it. Red Mulberry was used for food, medicinally, or as a tool.
in addition to its use as food, the Cherokee made an infusion of bark taken for worms or laxative. the Creek made an infusion of root for urinary problems or weakness. the Meskwaki used root bark as a medicine for any sickness. the Seminole used Red Mulberry to make bows for hunting & fishing.
#16 Wahoo (Eastern Wahoo), Euonymus atropurpureus
About the Eastern Wahoo
this garden plant is also known as American Wahoo, Burningbush, Burning Bush, Hearts Bursting With Love, Indian Arrow Wood, Spindle Tree, Wahoo, Wahoo Euonymus. Wahoo is a deciduous shrub or small tree that’s native to North America.
Zone: 3 to 7
Height: 12 to 20 feet
Bloom Time: June
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Tolerate: Black Walnut
Unusual plants — garden plant
Wahoo is it’s name! that alone makes it an unusual garden plant! however, Euonymus species generally are unusual plants — they have very unique flowers.
Wahoo is very adaptable except for wet, poorly-drained soil. it grows in full sun to part shade. however, it can grow in full shade (but will not flower well). it tolerates a wide range of soils.
Eastern Wahoo, Euonymus atropurpureus belongs to a family of about 130 species that are native around the world. North America has several native species. however, most are native to Asia.
i’ve identified only three species native to North America: Euonymus americanus; Euonymus atropurpureus; and Euonymus obovatus. however, there are many species of Euonymus in North America. some are considered invasive (Euonymus alatus and Euonymus fortunei). finally, the fruits, seed and bark are considered to be poisonous in excessive doses. be cautious with all Euonymus species.
Euonymus americanus
Euonymus obovatus
Euonymus atropurpureus
#17 Witch-hazel, Hamamelis virginiana
About Witch-hazel
this garden plant is also known as Common Witchhazel, Common Witch Hazel, Southern Witch Hazel, Witch Hazel. Witch-hazel is a deciduous shrub or small tree that’s native to North America.
Zone: 3 to 8
Height: 15 to 20 feet
Bloom Time: October to December
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Tolerate: Deer, Erosion, Clay Soil
Unusual plants — garden plant
Witch-hazel flowers make is a very unusual garden plant. it flowers somewhat like the Northern Spicebush — yellow flowers hug the stems. however, they flower at opposite times of the year and, Witch-hazel flowers are brilliant, ribbon-shaped petals.
Witch-hazel grows in well-drained, acidic and organically rich soils in woodlands, forest margins and stream banks. they grow in full sun to part shade. however, they flower best in full sun. Witch-hazel tolerates heavy clay soils. also, the plant suckers, which is excellent for erosion control.
Hamamelis virginiana has a native cousin, Ozark Witch-hazel, Hamamelis vernalis. it’s difficult to tell them apart.
Hamamelis virginiana flowers from October to December with blooms that are predominantly yellow.
Hamamelis vernalis flowers from January to early March with blooms that range from yellow to reddish-purple.
Native American uses
the Native American Ethnobotany lists at least 6 Native American tribes that used it. Witch-hazel, Hamamelis virginiana was used medicinally.
the Cherokee made an infusion for pains, colds, fevers, and sores and skinned places. leaves were rubbed on scratches. the Iroquois made a decoction of shoots taken by a pregnant woman who had fallen or been hurt. they also used Witch-hazel as a toothache medicine. the Mohegan used crotched used to locate underground water or buried treasure. yup, the stems of Witch-hazel have been used for water divining.
#18 Agarita, Mahonia trifoliolata
About Agarita
this unusual garden plant is also known as Agrito, Algerita, Chaparral Berry, Currant-of-Texas, Desert Holly, Mahonia, Mexican Barberry, or Wild Currant. Agarita is an evergreen shrub that’s native to North America.
Zone: 7 to 9
Height: 2 to 6 feet
Bloom Time: March to April
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Dry to medium
Tolerate: Drought
Unusual plants — garden plant
Agarita are unusual plants because they’re relatively rare.
its native range in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Norther Mexico. s a tree. Agarita is low maintenance, very drought tolerant, and an evergreen. it grows best in full sun but will grow in light shade. Agarita, Mahonia trifoliolata will sucker. so it’s an ideal plant for erosion control.
it grows in open flats and slopes in grassland, shrubby areas, rocky hillsides, pastures and open woodlands.
this is a spiny girl. it’s leaves have pointy spins like the American Holly, but the Agarita is sharper. this is one of the FEW plants i’ll use gloves when working with her.
yellow flowers bloom in early spring. flowers are followed by edible berries that mature orange to red. grow more than one shrub together for best fruit production. berries may be used to make jams and jellies. Agarita attracts pollinators, small mammals, and birds.