Valley Knudsen camellia... named for my great-grandmother, listed on Clemson U's list of recommended camellias and no where I've been able to find on this continent via web searching.

I want a Katsura Tree. I don't think they do too well here with the summer heat, but I always wanted one.

when i was living in chicago i used to wish that crape myrtles could survive tough zone 5 winters. then i moved here (durham), and what's right in front of our house? a crape myrtle. yay! :D

pat

There's a small green leaved Alternanthera that I had once from Montrose. The foliage was tiny and congested and the overall appearance was like a slightly unruly version of Ilex 'Dwarf Pagoda'. I loved that thing but lost it one winter, and I've never even seen it mentioned anywhere since. Always on the lookout though, with harpoon ready to launch.

I would love to have an Empress Tree. I dont think my yard and garden would tolerate it's large growth though. :( Beautiful flowering tree.

Lyle

Well mine is a successful harpooning season story:

This past March I went to the Philadelphia Flower Show to work for a friend who had a booth there selling flower bulbs. I had never been to Philly and never been to this sort of flower show either (I'm told it is the biggest on this side of the pond). I went hoping that some of my "white whales" would be for sale and they were.

The show fills up the entire convention center and involves judged potted plants and hanging baskets of every shape and size as well as topiary and edwardian cases (mini greenhouses) and terrariums. There are also large elaborate displays set up by garden clubs and fancy garden designers. There is also a section devoted to plants and stuff for sale. I was kinda disappointed while walking through the endless rows of stuff because most of it was ordinary stuff you can find at any Home Depot - but way in the back was a tiny stall run by an elderly Chinese couple and they had two of my long-sought-after dream plants. Another booth had nothing but orchids which seemed to be the big draw for most shoppers. While at that stall I found another choice plant that I had given up on finding years ago. None of what I bought was cheap but all of them came out cheaper to buy and drive home with as opposed to paying a shipping charge for - so I came out a happy camper.

I got three Euphorbia millii 'Thai Strain' (I know, I know, you're thinking "crown of thorns"? but these are a special freaky hybrid of that Euphorb with super large flowers most often in odd colors.) I bought one sorta salmon pink one with cream and green edges, a rosey pink double and a solid cream with green and red specks. You can find them online but to ship them from Thailand requires a minimum order of $2000!!!!!!!!!!! A few greenhouses in Florida sell them but they are really small and $20 each and most often they don't sell by the color, you have to buy a mix.

I bought 4 Taiwan Pea plant or Butterflywing Pea plants - Christia obcordata (the red stripes on light green ones). These can be hard to come by but now are being tissue cultured in Florida so someday they will be everywhere and we will all be sick of them. These were tiny and not cheap but most places that offer them have limited quantities so I splurged. Only two survive so far.

The other thing was one of the tiny Jewel Orchids. I don't have its name here at work with me but it isn't the common one (I already have that one). This one is smaller and kinda bronzy velvet with orange/gold stripes and veins.

John, I think I know that jewel orchid: Macodes petola. I grew it for a little while a few years ago but killed it during the winter, probably from the dry air indoors. I love the way the veins are like metallic gold thread woven into the leaves. I need to make another trip down to Tropiflora (where I got that one before). It's a great place to find all those things I didn't know I was looking for.

lylegardens...you can get those off the side of the interstate. They are quite invasive here, so they shouldn't be too hard to find.

If I chimed in on this post last night I would have said "any flowering shrub" but today we stopped by Gardeners Supply in Cary while on a shopping trip. I fell hard for a redbud called 'Silver Cloud'. They are supposed to be a wonderful shade tree and the delicate layered canopy along with the white tipped leaves gave me the distinct feeling that fairies would very happily dance under such a canopy. Definately out of my price range...or is it. I am expecting a windfall soon. Ah oh. Adele

Here is a link that might be useful: Cercis Canadensis 'Silver Cloud'

JQ public- really? I didnt know they were even in the state as a nuisance tree! I guess if it a nuisance like in the kudzu range maybe I'll try to harpoon something else!

Lyle

Adele, JCRA has one of those growing by the building.

Lyle, yes, it is invasive. Pretty, but invasive. Those nuts go everywhere.

karen - I believe mine is tagged Anoectochilus chapaensis but I've learned the hard way not to trust the dealers tags. I have long admired this group of tiny orchids. We'll see how well it grows as a houseplant.

John, don't doubt on my account. I know almost nothing about orchids. I googled yours, what a gem. These guys really are aptly named jewel orchids. Are you planning on terrarium conditions or something else? I'll be interested in how it does.

My "whales" fall into two categories: things I wish I could find (Calanthe kinteroi, Bletilla szetchuanica and formosana, and the mountain form of Darlingtonia); and things I wish I could keep alive (Cypripedium acaule, Ramonda myconi, Haberlea rhodopensis, and Meconopsis betonicifolia). Appearing in BOTH coulmns is Romneya coulteri!